Mainebiz

V O L . X X I V N O. X I I I J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 8 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Boundary Waters, $30,000; and in- spection of completed environmental projects, $5,000. The annual SCORE Maine Success Award luncheon honored 10 busi- nesses and their owners in a variety of categories: Adria Moynihan Rusk, owner, Still Life Studios in Portland, winner of one of two Women-Owned Business awards; Rachel Knight, owner of Destination Occupation, the other Woman-Owned Award winner; Charlie, Erika and Brenda Melhus, founders of Norway Brewing Co., won the Green Small Business award; Elise and Frank Ferrel, founders of Zen Bear Honey Teas in Bath, won the Encore award for entrepreneurs over 50; Diane Cyr, a former nurse and founder of the Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center, won the Nonprofit Award; Kim Ortengren, founder of Wallace James Clothing Co., won the Innovative Small Business Award. Steve Wimmer, founder of Sweden Street in Aroostook County, won the Technology Small Business Award. Sweden Street created the Spud Tracker app, a potato distribution management sys- tem; Kristen and Joe Camp, found- ers of Campfire Studio, a Westbrook ceramics studio, won the Young Entrepreneurs award; Maddie Purcell, founder of Fyood Kitchen, which provides a social experience for con- sumers through its amateur cooking competitions, won an Innovative Small Business award; David Joseph, founder of DAVO Technologies, a sales tax management system, was the second Technology Small Business award. Lower Falls Landing in Yarmouth is sold Lower Falls Landing, a 5-acre mixed-use site in Yarmouth, sold for $5.4 million. Buyer SEKA Properties Maker of consumer kelp products finds its CEO in nonprofit ranks B y M a i n e b i z S t a f f PORTLAND — Ocean Approved Inc. hired Briana Warner, senior community development officer at the Island Institute, as its next CEO. Warner will join Ocean Approved July 2, taking over from CEO Paul Dobbins, who will start a new job in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2006, Ocean Approved farms, processes and sells kelp and kelp products. According to its website, it not only harvests kelp from its own farms it also works with farms operated by nine fisher- men along the Maine coast. It's currently in a growth mode, focusing on responding to market demand by expanding its processing capacity and entering into buying contracts with more kelp farmers in Maine, according to a "success story" posted by CEI on its website. "I am thrilled to be part of this exciting new industry in Maine," Warner said. "Edible sea vegetables are healthy for the ocean and consumers and have endless possibilities for culinary innovation. I am excited to be stepping into a company that makes delicious and healthy products. I am also motivated by Ocean Approved's community-based supply chain, sourcing its line-grown seaweed directly from Maine's hard-working fisherman." Warner told Mainebiz she sees her new venture with Ocean Approved as a natural progression of work she's been doing at Island Institute, the Rockland-based nonprofit that is working to sustain island and coastal communities in Maine. During her tenure there, she created a program that helped fishermen diversify into seaweed and shellfish aquaculture and is looking forward to working closely with many of those same fishermen at Ocean Approved. Whether it's growing oysters, mussels or various forms of seaweed, Warner said aquaculture increasingly is providing opportunities for Maine fishermen to create for themselves "a diversified income stream." A diverse background Warner is a graduate of George Washington University and has a master's in international relations from Yale. She's looking forward to returning to the food sector, she said. Prior to joining the Island Institute, she founded and then sold Maine Pie Line, a bakery that sold sweet and savory pies and created jobs for newly resettled refugees in Maine. Before that, she served as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service in Libya, Guinea and the U.S. Mission to the European Union. Warner will join a seasoned management team with sales, marketing, processing and food safety experience. While the initial focus will be to continue to grow food service distribu- tion and sales, she will spearhead the effort to bring Ocean Approved into the retail sector and innovate new products that will help expand the market for sea vegetables. "I've been brought on to focus on expanding into retail markets," Warner said. "I saw this company as being an incredible innovator … It's time to look into the retail market." "I am thrilled to see Briana take the lead at Ocean Approved," said outgoing CEO Dobbins. "Given her track record of success at the Island Institute, broad industry contacts, and performance as an Ocean Approved board member, she is well positioned to take the company to the next level.'' B R I E F Ocean Approved Inc. hired Briana Warner, senior community development officer at the Island Institute, as its next CEO. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F O C E A N A P P ROV E D I N C . LLC will take over a waterfront property, at 106 Lafayette St., that includes a 40,900-square-foot office and retail building, the Royal River Grillhouse and 26 boat slips. Mike Cobb of Cardente Real Estate bro- kered the sale on behalf of the sellers, Lower Falls Landing Associates, and Jennifer Yilmaz of Applewood Realty represented the buyers. Originally constructed as a can- nery, the property was described by Cardente as having been "painstak- ingly redeveloped" into high-quality office space with retail on the first floor and ample on-site parking. Apartment building planned on church site A 42-unit apartment building on the site of a former church in South Portland was one of two housing projects approved by the city. e Portland Press Herald reported that the project will be on the site on the former St. John Evangelical Church, at 611 Main St. e church build- ing will apparently be razed to make way for the apartment building. e developer will be the South Portland Housing Authority. e second housing complex, at 450 Clark's Pond Road, will include 256 mar- ket-rate apartments. e developer is Vincent Maietta. e architect is Archetype. Both projects were approved by the planning board, but face other city approvals. Bayside 'workforce housing' condos planned A development in Portland with condos starting at $215,000 is aimed at first-time buyers and retirees otherwise priced out of the mar- ket. Parris Terraces, at 60 Parris St. in the Bayside neighborhood, will include 23 one-bedroom units with onsite parking. e developer is Jack Soley, a principal at East Brown Cow Management Inc., which owns Canal Plaza, the Hyatt Plaza and other prominent buildings in Portland. e site is part of the former city pub- lic works depot that was sold off in parcels last year. Designed by Kaplan ompson Architects, Parris Terraces will offer energy efficient units "cre- ated with a vision to make housing accessible to working profession- als, who are otherwise priced-out of Portland's real estate market," accord- ing to a press release from Portside Real Estate. Construction will be managed by Hebert Construction. Parris Terraces is set to be completed by April 2019. S O U T H E R N

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