From the Editor: Capturing a fast-moving year
This issue of Mainebiz has a mix of stories and themes that came into tighter focus in the past year.
The regular issue concentrates on manufacturing (more on that in a minute), while the publication inserted in this issue is devoted to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Since last May, we’ve all become more aware of social injustices, from major events with the murder of George Floyd and BLM protests to less overt but just as troubling issues, like the lack of diversity in much of the business world. Companies both large and small in Maine are doing what they can to address these issues, but the work is just beginning.
The term DEI — or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — unknown by many until relatively recently, is now taking root in some of Maine’s best-known corporations, supermarkets, law firms, small businesses and so on. They’re hiring directors of DEI and creating committees and advisory groups. In this DEI issue of Mainebiz, we set out to take the temperature on where these efforts stand.
Back to the manufacturing issue, there is a pandemic theme to the stories.
A lot was written last year about Puritan Medical Products’ warp-speed effort to increase production of swabs needed for COVID-19 tests. The company was in the spotlight, being visited by then-President Donald Trump and receiving $140 million in federal funding to increase production of the swabs by the millions. Freelance reporter Jessica Hall takes us inside Puritan’s 24/7 race to build two factories in Pittsfield, working with Cianbro on the space and Bath Iron Works on the creation of the factory machinery. At the same time, it stepped up recruiting to find 800 additional workers. See Jessica’s story, “Factories to meet pandemic needs,” on Page 14.
For our cover story, Maureen Milliken takes a look at a range of manufacturers showcasing the Maine brand for products like flags, chips and ice cream. See Maureen’s story, “Making in Maine matters,” on Page 10.
We’ve watched with interest for developments out of Scarborough-based Fluid Imaging Technologies, which is now Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies after last year’s acquisition by Yokogawa Electric Co. Turns out, the company is busier than ever in the pandemic, as Laurie Schreiber reports in “Seeing things,” which starts on Page 16.
Our list this issue is Maine’s largest brewers, on Page 22.
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