Governor's award recognizes 'excellence' in 4 Maine businesses

PHOTO / JIM NEUGER South Portland’s Rwanda Bean Co., founded by Mike Mwenedata, was one of four businesses to receive the 2019 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence this week.

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By Staff

Four Maine businesses — Rwanda Bean, Luke’s Lobster, Bigelow Brewing Co. and CourseStorm — received the 2019 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence this week.

“With ingenuity and imagination, hard work and dedication, these four businesses are transforming communities across Maine into hubs of excellence where talented workers can get good-paying jobs and raise their families,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a news release.

“As we work to implement our state’s new strategic economic development plan and ensure Maine is known as a place of innovation and excellence, these businesses will serve as a model for economic success. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.”

Mills was joined by Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson for a recognition ceremony at the Blaine House in Augusta.

“Nominated businesses from across the state all share a deep commitment to their community, devotion to creating a high-quality of life for their employees, and proven strategic business excellence,” Johnson said in the release. “I share Governor Mills’ belief that celebrating the good work that business in Maine are doing will help to attract more workers and economic opportunity to our state and I thank these businesses for leading by example.”

• Rwanda Bean received the Welcome Home Award, which recognizes business excellence in Maine’s underrepresented business community. Located in South Portland, it supplies specialty coffee products in the U.S. and abroad. Owner and founder Mike Mwenedata, profiled by Mainebiz in June 2018, operates two retail coffee shops in southern Maine and manufactures and distributes a line of premium, roasted coffee products to wholesale and retail customers throughout New England. Half of Rwanda Bean’s net profits are reinvested back into Rwandan farm communities, and Mwenedata uses a direct-trade model to ensure all farms get a fair price for their beans.

• Bigelow Brewing Co. received the Rural Revitalization Award, which recognizes contributions to the revitalization and growth of Maine’s rural and distressed economic regions. Located in Skowhegan, the brewery is owned and operated by Pamela James-Powers and Jeffrey Powers. Every beer that Bigelow Brewing produces is made with malts that are grown in Maine. Bigelow works closely with local farmers to preserve and cultivate Somerset County’s agricultural heritage.

• Luke’s Lobster received the Heritage Industry Award, which recognizes and celebrates business excellence in the forest industry, manufacturing sector or marine economy. Luke’s Lobster has retail branches in Portland and St. George, with a total 38 global locations. The vertically integrated seafood company also operates a lobster and crab processing facility in Saco. Luke’s Lobster launched two consumer packaged goods products at Whole Foods Market in late 2018, and also works intimately with several lobster and fish cooperatives in Knox County to ensure that all seafood is 100% traceable.

• CourseStorm received the Innovation Award, which celebrates and recognizes business excellence through entrepreneurship and innovation. Located in Orono, the company offers an innovative and simple system for class registration to help educational organizations save time and money while increasing enrollments. Cofounders Matt James and Brian Rahill continue to develop software that will provide accessible and affordable education for Maine people. Currently, CourseStorm has connected over 300,000 students in all 50 states to affordable, lifelong learning.

Since 1991, the Governor's Awards for Business Excellence have recognized Maine businesses with a high level of commitment to their community and employees, as well as exemplary performance in the manufacturing or service fields. Past recipients have included L.L. Bean Inc., Jackson Laboratory and Sea Bags. This year, the award seeks to highlight elements of the state’s 10-year strategic economic plan, with four new award recipient categories.

Mills’s plan, unveiled Dec. 11, calls for increasing wages for Mainers, the value of products in the state, and its talent pool, as a way to combat "serious challenges" to the Maine economy.