Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 bernsteinshur.com/chad-higgins We welcome excellence in practice. Bernstein Shur is proud to welcome Chad W. Higgins as a shareholder and member of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group to the firm's Portland office. With 15 years of experience in a broad range of industries, Chad focuses on energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, consumer products, and higher education. Welcome to the firm, Chad! 866.782.0200 | www.connectivitypoint.com Call cabling vendor Call securi vendor Call AV vendor Call phone system vendor Call sound masking vendor 6. Call cell amplificaon vendor Call Connecvi Point! The $52 million IT fi rm you may not have heard of — Maine-based Planson International may be a well-kept secret, but not for long. The 25-year-old-global supplier of information technol- ogy software, hardware and services was just named "Service Provider of the Year" by the Maine International Trade Center. Still run out of the red barn on the family property where it was started, the fi rm has grown to $52 million in annual sales. It has a workforce of 45 people, some of whom have relocated from Maine and now work remotely. It has a subsidiary in Ringe, Denmark, and is a supplier to the United Nations and other international organizations providing humanitarian aid and economic support in developing countries. Last year the company completed a $26 million project to supply computer labs to nearly 900 high schools in the Philippines. In an interview with Mainebiz ahead of the MITC announcement, CEO and co-founder Connie Justice said that while she prefers to keep a low profi le, "we've reached the size now where it's appropriate that people know about us." "The main impetus to let us be a little more known publicly is from my employees," she added. "They're very proud of working here, and I want them to feel proud and for others to know who they work for." The MITC award follows fi ve straight years of 20% growth, though Justice said this may be a good time to "take a breather" from that pace. "My biggest concern this year," she said, "is to make sure we do an excellent job of supporting the business we have today rather than growing even more." Planson will be honored, along with the other winners, at an awards luncheon in Rockport on May 18. The event will take place on the second day of MITC's annual Trade Day con- ference, to be held May 17-18 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. This year's theme is "Trade's New Era: Accessing Asia." Other MITC award winners were: Fiber Materials Inc., Biddeford / Innovator of the Year: FMI has created parts for a rocket, a Formula One racing car and even a prosthetic limb. It designs, develops and manufactures high-temperature composite materials for air, land, sea and space. While the core business is defense, FMI has also collaborated with NASA, designing a heat shield system for the Mars 2012 Rover mission. It is working on new systems for the Mars 2020 Rover mission and the New Frontiers program. Maine Coast, York / Exporter of the Year: The company shipped 7 million pounds of lobster from its facilities in York and Boston last year, with 60% of that shipped to 29 overseas countries. It had 125% growth over the past three years, with 2017 revenue at $57 million. It supports 50 full-time jobs, most of those in York. St. Croix Tissue, Baileyville / Foreign Direct Investor of the Year: Parent com- pany International Grand Investment Corp. invested $120 million in two new tissue-making machines in 2016, creating 80 new jobs at the Baileyville mill, paying $18 to $35 an hour, and hundreds of indirect jobs. The mill produces tissue rolls that weigh 2.5 tons and the mill can produce 125 rolls per day. All tissue produced in Baileyville is trucked to other plants for the production of paper towels, facial tissue, and other consumer goods. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F M A L O N E C O M M E R C I A L B RO K E R S Steve Clark, shown here, has been employed by Planson International of New Gloucester for 23 years. The Company has been named 'Service Provider of the Year' by MITC. B R I E F

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