Dana Totman of Avesta Housing in front of the nonprofit's Pearl Street project

ON THE COVER

Portland housing developers struggle to meet market needs

February 20, 2012 06:00 am

A walk down Pearl Street in Portland's Bayside neighborhood produces sights and sounds of bulldozers moving frozen earth and contractors laying a building foundation. The activity...

FEATURES

Source: Maine Public Utilities Commission

Sides line up in renewables debate

Douglas Rooks | February 20, 2012 06:00 am

A referendum to double Maine's standard for new renewable electricity generation will not be on the ballot in 2012 — but the battle lines are already forming for its likely...

Mary Ellen Camire, professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine, holds a purple potato. She’s leading students in research on Global Protein’s corn-derived food coatings.

A Waterville company hopes its corn protein patents will create products and jobs in the potato industry

Bob Mentzinger | February 20, 2012 06:00 am

Those seeking locally grown advances in agriculture haven't "zein" anything yet.

This season’s scant snowfall worries snow-reliant industries

Bob Mentzinger | February 20, 2012 06:00 am

It's almost an axiom in Maine. When the snow comes down, profits go up.

Gina Weathersby, the new chief of the Institute for Family-Owned Business, is expanding resources for Maine’s family-run businesses

The new chief of the Institute for Family-Owned Business expands resources

Jonathan White | February 20, 2012 06:00 am

Established in 1995 by third-generation auto magnate Shep Lee of Lee Auto Malls, the Institute for Family-Owned Business has been providing resources and support to enhance the chances a...

Focus on Greater Portland

Robert Bruce, left, and Colin Snyder launched online game BoodleUP to promote local products

Portland venture aims to change advertising paradigm

February 20, 2012 06:00 am 1

Two Portland-based entrepreneurs have received $400,000 in seed money for a venture they hope will change the paradigm of online and...

Portland's tight-knit network fosters the growth of tech startups

Russell Voss Founder, Voss Consulting Group LLC | February 20, 2012 06:00 am

Tech startups are not synonymous with Maine, but some tech-based companies are calling Greater Portland home. While geographic location...

Columns

Landlords can expect better negotiating positions in 2012

BY Justin Lamontagne

I am an admitted real estate nerd. I like talking about it. I like reading about it. And, obviously, I like writing about it. So it...

Money matters

BY Mal Leary

Income taxes fall short

Lists

Maine's largest nonprofit organizations

Ranked by 2011 assets (1)

Rank	Nonprofit, location	Assets/Liabilities
1	Bowdoin College, Brunswick	$1,294,173,000/$203,029,000
2	Maine Medical Center, Portland	$1,098,704,079/$515,082,782
3	Colby College, Waterville	$1,050,624,000/$131,831,000
4	Eastern Maine Medical Center (2), Bangor	$459,472,780/$220,225,914

Source: Guidestar, a 501(3)c that collects and presents 990 forms for IRS-registered nonprofits./Compiled by Roger Magnus. (1) Given the various timing of organizations' fiscal years, 2011 figures are the most recent available for comparison. (2) Although Eastern Maine Medical Center and Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems are related, they each have separate employer identification numbers and file individual tax returns

Maine's largest hotels

Ranked by number of guest rooms as of May 2013

Rank	Hotel, location	Guest rooms/Conference rooms
1	Westin Portland Harborview Hotel (1), Portland	289/8
2	Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina, Bar Harbor	285/5
3	Bar Harbor Regency Holiday Inn, Bar Harbor	280/4
4	The Anchorage by the Sea, Ogunquit	241/1

(1) Formerly Eastland Park Hotel, re-opening December 2013. Source: Each hotel/Compiled by Roger Magnus and Heide Martin.

Maine's highest-paid public company executives

Ranked by total annual compensation, 2012

Rank	Executive, location	Total annual compensation (1)/Organization's revenue (in millions)
1	Jonathan Ayers, president/CEO Idexx Laboratories Inc., Westbrook	$3,824,198/$1,293.3
2	Michael Dubyak, president/CEO WEX Inc.(2), South Portland	$1,945,545/$623.2
3	Jay Mazelsky, executive vice president Idexx Laboratories Inc, Westbrook	$1,333,386/$1,293.3
4	Michael Williams, executive vice president Idexx Laboratories Inc., Westbrook	$1,134,498/$1,293.3

(1) Total annual compensation includes salary, bonus and other annual compensation, but not long-term compensation. (2) Formerly Wright Express Corp. On May 1, 2013, Melissa Smith assumed the position of president as part of a leadership succession plan that will culminate in her taking on the additional role of CEO of WEX Inc. on Jan. 1, 2014. Michael Dubyak will remain chairman and CEO of WEX Inc. during the transition period, and will assume the newly created role of executive chairman of the board on Jan. 1, 2014.

Source: U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission company Proxy Statements (14A); each company's financial statements./Compiled by Roger Magnus.

Maine's largest commercial property sales

Ranked by sale price, 2012

Rank	Property, location	Sale Price/Square footage
1	56 Milliken St., Portland	$6,457,000/200,625
2	125 Industrial Way, Portland	$5,800,000/100,000
3	1 Wallace Ave., South Portland	$5,500,000/100,000
4	638 Congress St., Portland	$4,509,000/133,424