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July 28, 2014 Edition

Local granola maker GrandyOats stands up to the big boys

Lori Valigra

First they turned a historic dairy barn in Brownfield into a granola factory.

  • Focus on Real Estate/Construction/Design
    Focus on Real Estate/Construction/Design

    Portland-based architecture firm changes the approach to medical office buildings

    James McCarthy

    For Ellen Belknap, president of the Portland-based architecture and engineering firm SMRT, all of the Affordable Care Act concepts can be honed down to a few simple concepts: Improve the quality and experience of health care, reduce the per capita

  • Focus on Real Estate/Construction/Design
    Focus on Real Estate/Construction/Design

    Reflecting Portland: Custom glass features meld new with old buildings

    Lori Valigra

    Glass-fronted interlopers are popping up between Portland's quaint brick buildings, and if a Biddeford complex glazing system maker has its way, more architects will design signature elements like its glass crinkle wall at the new Hyatt Place hote

  • In Short
    In Short

    Newsworthy people and performances

    New hiresSymQuest Group, an information technology company in Westbrook, hired Brent Graham as document sales account executive in Westbrook and Iman Poeraatmadja as account executive-net

  • How To's
    How To's

    Cut energy costs with new construction materials and ideas

    Dave Thomas

    With ever-increasing energy costs claiming larger shares of overhead and operations expenses, building owners benefit greatly from adopting new methods for conserving resources.

  • Focus on Real Estate/Construction/Design
    Focus on Real Estate/Construction/Design

    'Cargotecture' adopted for efficient, modular space

    Laurie Schreiber

    Fancy an office or home that pops out of the box, ready to “plug and play?” A new architectural trend in Maine is the box.

Today's Poll

Is it time for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates?
Poll Description

Over the past several months, banks and other businesses have been looking for the Federal Reserve Board to cut interest rates, but the waiting game continues.

Basing its decision on new economic reports, the Fed on May 1 said it doesn’t plan to cut rates until it has “greater confidence” that inflation is slowing toward the central bank's 2% target. Three rate reductions have been projected for 2024, likely starting in June.

But for now, it appears the key borrowing rate in the U.S. will stay at a two-decade high of roughly 5.3%.

Keeping the rate so high for so long may tame inflation, but can also discourage new investment and business growth.

“The Fed is really stressing the banking industry,” said Andrew Silsby, president and CEO of Augusta-based Kennebec Savings Bank, in a Mainebiz story last month. “The economic environment is really quite difficult, but I haven’t quite figured out whether we’re through the storm or in the eye of the storm.”

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