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March 18, 2013 Edition
Business Leaders of the Year

Introducing Mainebiz's 2013 Business Leaders of the Year

Energy, finance, housing. Each of these three sectors has been tested by tremendous change and mounting challenges in the past year.

  • Focus on Midcoast Region
    Focus on Midcoast Region

    Boothbay electricity project aims to change the grid

    Darren Fishell

    The hottest hours of the hottest days on the sprawling fingers of the Boothbay peninsula come close to critically straining the area's electricity transmission lines.

  • Other
    Other

    Charlie Miller reflects on his time leading Bernstein Shur

    Matt Dodge

    Charlie Miller's journey to the corner office was not typical. After graduating from Colby College in 1969, Miller spent seven years as a school teacher, guidance counselor and debate coach at Lawrence High School in Fairfield.

  • Opinion
    Opinion

    New educational collaboration model gains steam

    Alan Hinsey

    Ten years ago a group of Knox County business leaders, elected officials and economic development folks confronted the facts that we were losing our 18-to-34-year-olds, fell below the state average for per-capita income and that many in our aging

  • Focus on Midcoast Region
    Focus on Midcoast Region

    A revived VillageSoup operation continues to grow

    Darren Fishell

    In 2012, the abrupt demise of Village NetMedia, the parent company of multiple weekly newspapers in central and coastal Maine, delivered a blow to the news industry.

  • Other
    Other

    Both parties zero in on liquor contract to pay hospitals

    Darren Fishell

    As Democratic legislators and Gov.

  • Other
    Other

    Research an industry using library resources

    Sonya Durney Business And Government Team Leader At The Portland Public Library

    So you've decided to unleash your inner entrepreneur and wonder how to get started. Perhaps surprisingly, the Portland Public Library is a great place to start.

  • Focus on Midcoast Region
    Focus on Midcoast Region

    Belfast food hub creates new market for local vendors

    Craig Idlebrook

    The world almost didn't get to taste Julie Romano's salsa.

  • Other
    Other

    Recognizing the best

    Carol Coultas

    I think successfully navigating change and controversy are key hallmarks of a good leader. Pretty much anyone can steer the ship when the waters are calm and sight lines uncluttered.

  • In Short
    In Short

    Newsworthy people and performances

    New hiresThe Bangor YMCA recently hired Diane Dickerson as executive vice president of marketing, development and community engagement.

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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