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Economic Development

  • Five companies in play for $50K ‘LaunchPad’ grant

    Staff May 27, 2016

    Five finalists have been named in the Gorham Savings Bank “LaunchPad” competition, including several that have been featured on the pages of Mainebiz. The winner, which will be selected in June from 179 applicants, will be awarded $50,000.

    Staff May 27, 2016
  • Wiscasset receives $4.3M to upgrade century-old water system

    Staff May 25, 2016

    The Wiscasset Water District received funding from the USDA Rural Development office totaling $4.3 million for infrastructure upgrades on nearly 13,000 feet of century-old water lines.

    Staff May 25, 2016
  • Houlton is latest town to jump into entrepreneurial funding fray

    Lori Valigra May 24, 2016

    Houlton is the most recent town to offer a funding incentive to lure entrepreneurs with a $35,000 Houlton Entrepreneur Challenge that will kick off Sept. 1.

    Lori Valigra May 24, 2016
  • MTI awards $665K for tech-focused development in state

    Staff May 23, 2016

    The Maine Technology Institute's Cluster Initiative Program awarded three organizations in the state $658,765 that will be used to develop technology-intensive clusters in the state.

    Staff May 23, 2016
  • Fed crowdfunding law takes effect: What does it mean for Maine?

    Lori Valigra May 16, 2016

    After four years of debate, the federal government's 685-page crowdfunding law, passed last Oct. 30, takes effect today, offering yet another fund-raising and investing option to companies and individuals in Maine and nationwide.

    Lori Valigra May 16, 2016
  • New overtime rule could quadruple number of eligible Maine workers

    James McCarthy May 16, 2016

    A proposed change to the nation's overtime eligibility regulations could quadruple the number of workers in Maine who would be covered by the new salary threshold — rising from 16,000 to 64,000 workers.

    James McCarthy May 16, 2016
  • Coastal Enterprises Inc. looks to the future in wake of departure

    James McCarthy May 16, 2016

    “Retire” is the word that shall not be used in describing what Coastal Enterprises Inc. founder Ron Phillips plans to do after he turns over the leadership reins this week to his successor as CEO, Betsy Biemann, and as president, Keith Bisson.

    James McCarthy May 16, 2016
  • Chamber ‘executive of the year’ appointed as SMMC executive director

    Staff May 13, 2016

    Cory King, the 2015 Maine State Chamber Chamber “executive of the year” and long-time executive director of the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce, has been named executive director of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber.

    Staff May 13, 2016
  • What will this Maine town with a population of 85 do with $650K windfall?

    May 12, 2016

    The Downeast Maine town of Grand Lake Stream is in the “very early stages of planning” of finding out exactly what it plans to do with a $650,000 economic development grant meant to attract businesses and younger residents to the Washington County

    May 12, 2016
  • Rockland represents Maine in national Main Streets celebration

    Staff May 6, 2016

    The city of Rockland is representing the state of Maine in National Life Group's 2016 Main Streets Across America celebration.

    Staff May 6, 2016
  • FedEx delivers another small business grant contest to Maine

    Lori Valigra May 4, 2016

    FedEx Corp. has become the third entity in recent weeks to entice small businesses in Maine to enter a contest with several prizes totaling $100,000. The contest by the Memphis, Tenn.-based delivery service will be its fourth annual Small Business

    Lori Valigra May 4, 2016
  • Gray-New Gloucester launch local 'Shark Tank' competition

    James McCarthy May 3, 2016

    The Gray-New Gloucester Development Corp. launched a three-phase competition to lure new or existing out-of-town businesses into one of the communities by offering the winner a forgivable loan of up to $15,000 and approximately $5,000 of in-kind

    James McCarthy May 3, 2016
  • LePage, Alfond get green light on student debt legislation

    Staff April 20, 2016

    Maine Gov. Paul LePage and Senate President Justin Alfond, D- Portland, are touting passage of LD 1657, a bill that makes three major changes to the Opportunity Maine tax credit program.

    Staff April 20, 2016
  • Mainers sought to enter new global $125K MIT biz competition

    Lori Valigra April 20, 2016

    A new global competition has cast a worldwide net, but its executive producer, who is based in Maine, told Mainebiz that its focus on raising economic prospects for middle- and base-level earners makes it a natural for Maine businesses to compete.

    Lori Valigra April 20, 2016
  • FirstPark business partnership looks to spur global interest

    Staff April 19, 2016

    The 285-acre Oakland-based business campus, FirstPark, has announced a partnership with the Portland-based commercial real estate company, SVN The Urbanek Group, to spur development at the Kennebec Regional Development Authority owned and operated

    Staff April 19, 2016
  • How To: Avoid the 5 temptations of success

    Doug Packard April 18, 2016

    A successful leader of a large organization that I met with recently remarked during our first interview, “Doug, I don't spend much time second-guessing myself.”

    Doug Packard April 18, 2016

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Today's Poll

Do you support an increase in Portland's minimum wage?
Choices
Poll Description

The Portland City Council is weighing a controversial proposed hike to the city’s minimum wage.

The proposal would increase the minimum wage from $15.50 per hour to $20 per hour within four years. (The statewide hourly minimum wage is $14.65.)

The proposal does not include a wage hike for tipped workers who are currently paid an hourly wage of $7.75, but employers are required to ensure that wages and tips combined total $15.50 per hour. 

While inflation pressures have made it hard to survive on the minimum wage, many business owners are concerned the hike would cut already thin margins.