Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 F E B R UA R Y 5 , 2 0 1 8 F O C U S G R E AT E R P O R T L A N D Last year, Island Institute Economic Development Director Briana Warner, working with James Griffin, produced an overview of mar- ket potential for seaweed as a culinary product in Maine. "e problem is, you can grow seaweed but then have nowhere to sell it," she says. "So we need to work on the demand side. And developing more products desirable to average consumers and helping companies to scale production and get product into stores and restaurants, so that there will be more buyers, is key to the sea- weed supply chain." While seaweed has been widely used in Japanese cooking and by other Asian cultures, in U.S. kitchens and restaurant tables, consumers are still acquiring the taste. "One of the difficulties of seaweed in the U.S is that people weren't used to it," Olson says. "People don't want to change the way they cook to get the benefits of something. e frozen product is easy to use. But there was still some disconnect for consumers. So I came up the shelf-stable product. It's simple to add: You don't have to change the way you cook to get the umami fla- vor pop and the nutrient benefit." Developing a love for the sea Olson's journey to seaweed has gone through other briny ventures. As much as Olson may have seawater in his veins, he also has an entrepreneurial vein. He started three businesses in suc- cession that were on the cutting edge of movements to source products from Maine's waters. In 1998, he started Aqua Farms LLC, producing "rope grown" mussels under the brand name Bangs Island Mussels, using technology adapted from European aqua farms. e technology involves attaching seed to long ropes, suspended from rafts, and growing mussels to harvest size. At the time, most Maine farmed mussels were grown by seeding the bottom. at product was inconsistent, due to inconsistent bottom conditions. "With rope-grown, you get a consistent product with a nice, thin shell," he says. Using a combination of his own cap- ital and grants from Coastal Enterprises Inc., he acquired the needed equipment — a boat, a truck, a raft. He figured out a process to "de-clump" the mussels, which had thinner shell than wild- grown mussels. Setting up operations at an old farmhouse on Presumpscot Street in Portland, he purchased equipment to help process the mussels. Greater Portland Industrial Market Survey Maine's only comprehensive study and inventory of the Greater Portland Industrial Real Estate Market. Download Your 2018 Copy at dunhamgroup.com Portland, ME dunhamgroup.com 207.773.7100 Local Knowledge. Regional Focus. Global Reach. Member FDIC nbtbank.com/maine Maximize your business potential with an experienced team offering dynamic banking solutions. See for yourself why businesses in Southern Maine rely on NBT Bank's expertise and local decision making to reach their goals. Kimberly Twitchell Regional President 207.808.4487 ktwitchell@nbtbank.com Daryl Wentworth Regional Commercial Banking Manager 207.808.4490 dwentworth@nbtbank.com Joe Delano Senior Commercial Banking Relationship Manager 207.808.4486 jdelano@nbtbank.com Our experience. Your opportunity. Denise Vachon The Park Danforth Kimberly Twitchell NBT Bank 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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