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V O L . X X I I I N O. X V I 50 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 W hen Vets First Choice launched in 2010, it was one of a kind — a service largely for veterinarians that not only helps them manage pharmaceuticals, but client services, product management, patient management and administra- tive functions as well. Animals can't talk, and for the most part aren't covered by insurance. Online retailers have siphoned pharmaceutical and other product sales away. ere's a huge mix of species involved, with diff erent needs. en there's managing the payroll, offi ce staff and client payments. "Veterinarians run a small and complicated busi- ness with a practice that cares for a small, compli- cated group of clients," says Ben Shaw, founder, director and CEO. Vets First Choice isn't so much a veterinary business, but a company that "provides the tools to help vets manage their business." Shaw points out that no one is doing quite what Vets First Choice is doing. And that means phe- nomenal growth over the past six years. Vets First Choice was founded in 2010 and by 2014 had revenue of $45 million. Today it has more than 500 employees, 150 of whom have joined in the past year. It has sites in Omaha, Neb., and Manhattan, Kan., and plans to open locations in China and Amsterdam. While Vets First Choice has cornered a unique niche, though, Shaw says the innovation and development climate in Maine is a perfect academy for what he wanted to build. Vets First Choice is just one example of innovative companies in Maine. Other models for innovation in Maine For patient and client management, athenahealth may be a good example. e Watertown, Mass.-based med- ical billing company connects providers and patients with health services and has fi lled an economic niche in its offi ce in Belfast, on Maine's midcoast. For client services and client engagement, look to Maine's iconic retailer, L.L.Bean, which is based in Freeport and has its fl agship store there. Leon Leonwood Bean founded the company in 1912. It now has more than 5,000 employees and is renowned for its customer focus and marketing. For payment processes and analytics, WEX Inc., which has $1 billion in sales and is based in South Portland, is a global payment solutions company focused on owners of fl eet vehicles. And then there's IDEXX Laboratories, Maine's largest publicly owned company, which was founded by Ben Shaw's father, David Shaw. In nearby Westbrook, the company provides diagnostic services and products to veterinarians. 'High-quality talent across the fi elds' Ben Shaw, sitting in his downtown Portland offi ce recently, reels off a list of employees who perform critical services for Vets First Choice and once worked at those companies. e local infl uence on Vets First Choice is less about vet care and more about Maine's innovative and collegial business climate, he says. A lot of the companies based in the state have demonstrated what it takes to operate on a global scale. Because of the nature of the business Vets does, there are departments that handle analytics, soft- ware, technology, account management and more. "It's just really high-quality talent across the fi elds, and we're the benefi ciaries of [other Maine fi rms'] largess," he says. Shaw isn't the only one who sees it that way. " e business climate in Maine is very convivial and there's really some fantastic innovation taking place, born of good old fashioned Yankee ingenu- ity, combined with solid values and a hardworking, talented employee pool," L.L.Bean spokesman Mac McKeever says. "Amongst the companies in Maine, there's great opportunity for the cross-pollination of ideas and the sharing of industry best practices." Part of that collaborative spirit is cultural in Maine, said David Tassoni, senior vice president at athenahealth. "Deeply rooted within the state of Maine is a spirit of camaraderie — taking care of one another and help- ing out where needed. In Waldo County, where athena- health's Belfast offi ce is located, this spirit is evident in every business — from farming to technology," Tassoni P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Collaboration is key in Maine Growing companies rely on lessons from the state's enduring institutions I N N OVAT I O N / R & D Benjamin Shaw, center, founder and CEO of Vets First Choice, with part of his team.

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