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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 N OV E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 Pro Search, ReVision join ranks of ESOPs Two Portland companies are among the growing ranks of employee-owned companies in Maine. Pro Search Inc., a Portland-based company that pro- vides recruitment and staffing services, is now owned by its 11 employees. Ed McKersie, founder and president of Pro Search, announced on Nov. 1 that he had converted the company, which he established in 1994, from an S corporation to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, selling it to his employees. McKersie will con- tinue as president. Meanwhile, three co-founders of ReVision Energy, a regional solar company that has five offices in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, have converted their company to 100% ownership by employees through an ESOP Trust. Other ESOP companies in Maine include Cianbro, Sargent Corp., Spinnaker Trust, Ethos, Reed & Reed Inc., Clark Insurance, Mainely Tubs, Wright-Ryan Construction Inc., Warren Construction Group, Landry/ French Construction Co., Kennebec Technologies, GAC Chemical Corp. and Knickerbocker Group. Ramblers Way continues expansion Ramblers Way, the Kennebunk-based maker and retailer of "clothing for a good life" started by Tom's of Maine founder Tom Chappell, had a grand opening of its Portland store on Nov. 9. e 5,000-square-foot corner space is at 75 Market St. Besides Kennebunk, Ramblers Way has stores in Portsmouth, N.H., and Hanover, N.H. Other stores are planned for Greenwich, Conn., and Cambridge, Mass. "When I started opening these stores I wanted to be in Portland first," said Tom's daughter Eliza Chappell, designer of the women's collection and all of the retail stores. N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N Green Tree Events in Saco was selected as the event manage- ment provider for the 2018 Maine Governor's Conference on Tourism. Q: Ray Dalio, head and founder of Bridgewater Associates, advocates psy- chometric testing and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in particular as a means for building team effectiveness. How does one use these tests? ACE advises: First, make certain the assessment you select will bring about the results you want. Temperament assessments, such as the MBTI, the Personality Style Indicator or the DISC, provide a profile that is one of the best predictors of work success and a key to understanding how an individual views the world. The proper assessment helps describe a person's strengths and weak- nesses. It will equip you to determine behavioral preferences and sometimes even predict such specifics as future sales. Once you have the results, the critical hard work of honest discussion begins. I have personally seen the assessment results enrich coaching sessions, inter- views, employee coaching, and performance reviews. Temperament assessments vary in cost and can come as part of an in- house workshop or individual counseling sessions. Plan to build a workshop or individual appointments into the process so your employees understand their results and how to use them. The careful application of the MBTI results avoids simple labeling and mis- use to excuse weaknesses. The results will not turn you into a new person, but they can certainly help people take responsibility for their temperament prefer- ences and avoid allowing their weaknesses to compromise their performance. It will also highlight strengths that other colleagues can utilize when they recognize someone else may be better suited for a particular task. A modest investment in temperament assessment — including, as neces- sary, the help of a consultant for design and interpretation — can help compa- nies enjoy the same returns that made Bridgewater Associates successful. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y B i l l S t o n e o f P r o m i s i n g F u t u r e s The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Bill Stone of Promising Futures can be reached at bstone@promisingfutures.com. 207-358-7900 | www.milkstreetcapital.biz | 84 Middle Street, Portland • Non-conforming real estate financing • Rehab/construction • Real estate bridge loans • Distressed real estate • Quick closings • Commercial acquisitions • Cash out refinance When you partner with Irving Energy, you can count on: Safety: Our team is committed to serving our customers safely Reliability: Our dependable team has been delivering diesel, heating oil and propane to businesses for decades Support when you need it: Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Local Presence: We are local and support the communities where we work and live Meet your Irving Energy Commercial Sales team in Maine. Our dedicated team can help keep you focused on running your business with worry free, safe and reliable delivery of propane, heating oil and diesel. Kent Quiet 207.228.5580 Kent.Quiet@irvingoil.com Nelson Hansen 855.202.7260 Nelson.Hansen@irvingoil.com Samantha Dawson 603.491.4798 Samantha.Dawson@irvingoil.com Nelson Hansen Kent Quiet Samantha Dawson To learn more, contact any one of us! CES17-275 sales introduction ads MAINE.indd 1 2017-11-02 4:31 PM

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