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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 35 J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S S M A L L B U S I N E S S of corporate gifts, convention freebies and the like. e dream gained fresh momentum in 2014 when Ben and his then-fi ancée Whitney visited a woolen mill in Oxbridge, Mass. "I looked at her and I said, 'We're going to build a fac- tory, we're going to make clothes,' " Ben recalls. After losing his two remaining clients as a freelance consultant, Ben plowed driveways to earn extra cash. Inspiration struck during a snowstorm when he looked at the fl eece vest he had on and noticed the label read "Made in the USA," but then "Made overseas" in smaller type. "I ran home and said to Whitney, 'We're not doing blankets, we're going to make vests and jackets and pullovers.'" Rolling through his contacts, Ben called 100 companies asking whether they would pay a few dollars more for a vest made out of 100% American-made materials in a union shop; two were locked in contracts but 98 said yes. " e next step," Whitney says, "was to build a workforce." But how you do that in a place that has seen its old textile indus- try all but disappear let alone where sewing is no longer part of people's upbringing and culture? You design a training program yourself as Dory and Whitney did, helped by a network of Maine-based organizations. Training and building a workforce With funding from the Coastal Enterprises Inc.-led Portland Jobs Alliance, the training program was ready to go. Portland Jobs Alliance member groups got the word out about the program, which required partici- pants to have some sewing experience. Twenty-eight out of 30 who applied turned out to be new Americans, which Whitney found surprising. Six were selected for the program, which included English as a second language and math taught by instructors from Portland Adult Education. After gradu- ation, Ben and Whitney hired four, who received on-the-job internships via Goodwill's Workforce Solutions, and launched American Roots in October 2015. "Within 10 days, we were sold out for seven months," Ben recalls. Business has been growing ever since, with nearly $400,000 in sales the fi rst year and a goal of just over $1 million this year. Customers are companies looking for garments with logos for clients, convention attend- ees, workers and so on. Customers have included Sappi North America and Narragansett Beer Co. Have a big goal for your business? www.bhbt.com • 888-853-7100 Steve Gurin, SVP/Business Banker likes big challenges. Without a running background, he decided to run a half marathon. With guidance from experts, Steve created a training plan to help him succeed. Call Steve, who has 25 years of experience and knowledge working with entrepreneurs, to turn your big idea into reality. Photo by: Chris Pinchbeck When starting a business, you have a lot to keep your eye on. Sometimes it's hard to see the opportunities and the risks clearly. That's where Drummond Woodsum attorneys Michael High, Aaron Pratt, Gary Vogel and Lisa Magnacca can help. We provide expertise in all phases of your business, from formation and It's important for start-ups and young companies to get the legal insight they need, so that they can focus on growing their business. We offer practical, business-focused advice and have shepherded many companies from formation through ultimate sale and liquidity for founders. We practice law differentl e practice law differently. Since 1965. dwmlaw.com | 800 800 800 800.727.1941 727.1941 727.1941 727.1941 727.1941 727.1941 727.1941 727.1941 727.1941 Entrepreneurship and Innovation are Deeply Rooted in the Maine Economy C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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