Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X V I 24 FA C T BO O K / D O I N G B U S I N E S S I N M A I N E C E O I N T E RV I E W Mainebiz: What are the advantages of doing business in Maine and, more specifi cally, your region of Maine? Carolyn Brodsky: Maine has unbe- lievably beautiful and restorative natural resources. Our air is clean, and we have open space in which to move and grow. e abundance of recreational resources is what makes Mainers who they are sturdy, hard- working, clever and genuine. is car- ries over into the workplace. Mainers work hard, they care and produce quality products and services. Maine also has some of the best colleges in the country. e University of Maine at Orono has a renowned engineering depart- ment and its innovation center is a frequent partner with businesses. We have consulted with them and hired interns [and employees from several Maine colleges]. Having lots of local and small businesses, along with great local private and public colleges allows for creative collabo- ration that might not otherwise happen in big-city states. MB: How much of your customer base is Maine vs. the rest of the U.S. (or the world)? CB: Sterling sells its life-safety products all over the world. Most of our customer base is well outside of Maine, but a majority of our sales are still within North America. MB: What are the challenges of doing business in Maine? CB: We don't have huge corporations supplying lots of jobs and tax dollars. We instead have lots of mom-and- pop shops, many family-owned busi- nesses and small manufacturers and brands that are competing for shelf space around the world with global corporations. And all of us are facing more regulations from the federal government and more taxes from our state government. Most of the people in our state live in the southern part, which makes getting services to and tax revenue from the vast territory north and west diffi cult and expensive. In addition, over a third of our popula- tion is retired; another third is on some sort of government assis- tance. at means that the remain- ing third is working to cover to other two-thirds of the population. MB: Describe briefl y your journey to where you are in Maine. CB: We started Sterling in a beauti- ful town [in Massachusetts] that was very crowded and not terribly interested in seeing manufacturing grow. My ex-husband was from Minnesota and preferred wide-open spaces, but I didn't want to put the company on the road for three weeks to move to Minnesota. Maine was an easier option. I have grown to love it here and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Carolyn Brodsky Title: President Company: Sterling Rope Headquarters: Biddeford What the company does: Sterling Rope makes a variety of rope and life-safety products used by mountain climbers, arborists and firefighters. The ropes have been to the top of Mount Everest and were used in 2001 to lift the rubble from Ground Zero. Founded in 1992, and under the guidance of co-founder and President Carolyn Brodsky, Sterling is recognized as one of the leading American makers of safety and climbing gear in the United States, including receiving the 2015 American Made Outdoor Gear Award from the Outdoor Industry Association. Harnessing a workforce in Maine Carolyn Brodsky, co-founded Sterling Rope in Marblehead, Mass., in 1992. Eventually, the competitive sailor moved the company to Maine, connecting with more affordable manufacturing space and a workforce that's "sturdy, hardworking, clever and genuine." B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y C A RO LY N B RO D S K Y Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along Having lots of local and small businesses, along with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges with great local private and public colleges allows for creative collaboration that might not otherwise happen in big-city states.

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