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June 27, 2016 Edition
Focus on Energy

'Dead River blood runs deep' in new CEO

Lori Valigra

Associates of Deanna Sherman, president and soon-to-be CEO of oil and propane supplier Dead River Co., say she brings to mind the vintage E.F. Hutton TV ad in which a noisy room goes silent to hear advice from the stock brokerage.

  • Could a Long-Term Stock Exchange stimulate innovation?

    Lori Valigra

    A Silicon Valley investor wants to change the system, and already is advocating with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to create a new U.S. stock exchange called the Long-Term Stock Exchange that would give companies more breathing room to focus on longer-term ideas and products.

  • Credit cards: Are they what they used to be?

    Lori Valigra

    Flashing a platinum or gold credit card used to be a status symbol, but a recent Money Pulse survey by Bankrate.com found the times are changing, especially among younger generations.

  • How To's
    How To's

    How To: Avoid moving from one bad job to another

    Rob Levine

    You're looking to move on from your job. You dutifully made your list of “likes” and “dislikes” for your current job. The last thing you want to do is end up at a new job with the same problems (picture Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day”).

  • From $1,900 to $3M — Wicked Whoopie's growth is definitely 'wicked'

    Lisa Joy

    Amy Bouchard was in her late 20s and working at BIW when her daughter was born. Looking for ways stay at home and still make money, her brother urged her to sell the whoopie pies she'd been making for friends and family since junior high.

  • In Short
    In Short

    IN SHORT

    New hiresCBRE|The Boulos Co. hired Cole Smith as an associate in Portland.

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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