In short from May 3, 2010 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

Katie Fennessy of Portland recently became an independent sales consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct sales company featuring easy-to-prepare foods.

Scott Simons Architects in Portland recently hired Nathaniel Cram as an architectural designer.

Gorham Savings Bank recently hired Ann Armstrong as senior business officer at the new Falmouth Foreside location, which is scheduled to open this summer.

Planet Dog, a dog products company in Portland, recently hired Denise Saaf as marketing manager.

Seacoast Law in Westbrook recently hired Robert Jackson as a general practice attorney.

CashStar, a digital gifting and incentives company in Portland, recently hired Andrew Dodge as vice president of corporate sales, Kathleen Godwin as vice president of marketing and Simon Herron as director of business development.

Sealander Architects in Ellsworth recently hired Elise Chasse as sustainability director and architectural designer.

Legacy Publishing Co. in Westbrook recently hired David Sullivan as art director.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, recently hired George Royale as a member of the trial services group, concentrating in complex business and insolvency-related disputes, appeals and criminal matters.

S.W. Cole Engineering Inc. in Caribou recently hired Sarah Ashley to provide geotechnical engineering, environmental services and construction materials testing.

Brimstone Consulting Group, a Camden-based global management consulting firm, recently hired Mary Larson and Bob Gordon as managing directors.

Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick recently hired Sandra Giles as manager of quality and risk management.

SystemArchitecture.NET, a provider of software, website and IT support services in Windham, recently hired Joe Donahue as web application developer.

Downeast Energy & Building Supply in Brunswick recently hired Jay Prindall as service manager. Previously, Prindall was a project manager for L.L.Bean in Freeport.

Smith, Elliott, Smith & Garmey, a law firm in Saco, recently hired Laura White as an associate. She will practice out of the firm’s Portland office.

FISC Solutions, a Lewiston-based outsourcing service provider, recently hired Elsa McGary as account manager.

Disability RMS, a reinsurance provider in Westbrook, recently hired the following as new business specialists: Ashleigh Dixon, Jennifer McKinnon, Kristy Applebee and Amy Moran.

Promotions

Downeast Energy & Building Supply in Brunswick recently promoted Mike Leslie to general manager of the Lisbon Falls office.

PM Construction in Saco recently promoted George Laplume to vice president of operations and Laura Blanchette to director of business development.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution recently promoted Judith McDonald to vice president and Diane Tousignant to benefits manager.

Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry recently promoted Nick Lambert to director of sales and marketing. Lambert previously served as the brand manager for the Sunday River and Sugarloaf ski resorts.

Disability RMS, a reinsurance provider in Westbrook, recently promoted Danielle Hayes to new business specialist.

Maine Bank & Trust recently announced that human resources manager Betty Dix has been promoted and is now in charge of all human resource activities for all retail employees in Maine and all bank administrative functions for Maine Bank & Trust in Portland and Merrill Bank in Bangor.

Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington recently promoted Tom Hagerstrom to director of development.

Appointments

Charles Lyons, president of York County Community College in Wells, was recently elected to serve as treasurer/secretary of the Maine Higher Education Council for a one-year term.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute recently appointed the following to its board of directors: Andrew Barowsky, president and CEO of Lepage Bakeries in Auburn; Elizabeth Butler, partner at Pierce Atwood in Portland; Gerald Knecht, CEO of North Atlantic Inc. in Portland; Samuel Ladd, president of Maine Bank & Trust in Portland; C. Anthony McDonald, partner at CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Co. in Portland; Henry Schmelzer, former president and CEO of Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth; and Peter Vail, director of fresh foods at Hannaford Bros. Co. in Scarborough.

Avesta Housing in Portland recently elected the following officers to its board of directors: Gail Kingsley, an attorney at Libby, O’Brien, Kingsley & Champion in Kennebunk, as board chair; Neal Allen, executive director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments, as board vicechair; Cornelia Swanson, senior vice president and regional commercial credit administration manager at TD Bank in Portland, as treasurer; and Mary Striker, a retired nurse, as secretary.

Philip Grondin, chief financial officer at Gorham-based construction firm RJ Grondin & Sons, was recently elected to The Salvation Army, Portland Corps Advisory Board.

Company News

Lewiston-based Oxford Networks recently donated 700 pounds of food to the United Way Pantry Project led by the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Lewiston.

David Walter, a psychiatrist at Spurwink Services in Portland, was recently selected to participate in a year-long psychiatric leadership development program sponsored by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare in Washington, D.C.

Mary-Anne Martell, founder and principal at Seacoast Law in Westbrook, recently launched Maine Professional Business Women Inc. The group will meet the third Friday of each month at the offices of Seacoast Law at 240 Main St. in Westbrook.

Nationwide Research & Counseling Inc. in Portland recently opened its new office in San Francisco, Calif.

Claynor Public Safety Equipment recently opened a store in Norway.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources recently received $173,250 in grant funding from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund to develop a statewide habitat conservation plan.

Diversified Business Communications, a trade show, publishing and e-media company in Portland, recently announced the success of its exhibit-sharing strategy for vendors at the International Boston Seafood Show and the New England Food Show in Massachusetts.

Kamasouptra, a soup vendor specializing in seafood, vegetarian and vegan soups, recently opened at the Public Market House in Monument Square in Portland.

Vector Marketing, a wholly owned subsidiary of CUTCO Corp. headquartered in Olean, N.Y., recently opened a new sales office at 1321 Washington Ave., Ste. 108, in Portland.

KeyBank in Norway recently announced that Terry Twitchell, former vice president and manager, retired in April after 36 years of service.

Downeast Energy in Brunswick recently announced that its energy store on Front Street in downtown Bath is now open.

Katahdin Bankshares Corp., parent company of Katahdin Trust Co., announced earnings of $1.12 million for the first quarter of 2010, which represents a 46.4% increase over the same period last year and a 22.7% increase over the fourth quarter of 2009.

Atayne, a producer of environmentally friendly athletic and outdoor gear in Brunswick, recently announced an agreement with Tri-Maine Productions, a Portland-based race management company, to become an official aid-station sponsor at the Pineland Farms Trail Running Festival scheduled for May 29-30 in New Gloucester.

Winxnet, an IT firm in Portland, was recently hired by Stanley Tools to conduct its global enterprise deployment.

Saddleback ski resort in Rangeley recently reported that for its 2009-2010 season, which ended on April 11, revenue was up by 40% and skier visits were up by 15% over the previous year.

Susan Tedrick, chief compliance officer, and Gilly Hitchcock, compliance committee chair and a member of the board of directors, both of Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, recently presented at the Health Care Compliance Association’s annual compliance institute in Dallas, Texas. Franklin Community Health Network also announced that Rebecca Ryder, president and CEO, was recently recertified as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a professional society for health care leaders.

AU, a bag manufacturer in Westbrook, recently redesigned its website, www.au-inc.com, which was designed and developed by Hall Web Services in Portland.

The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation recently gave a total of $64,220 in grants to the following oral health programs: Aroostook County Action Program, Presque Isle; B Street Health Center, Lewiston; Community Dental Center, Waterville; Jessie Albert Memorial Dental Center, Bath; Kennebec Valley Dental Center, Augusta; Maine Coast Community Dental Clinic, Ellsworth; and the Root Cellar Dental Clinic, Portland.

The Theater at Monmouth in Monmouth recently announced it will receive a $75,000 grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development to help restore a grange hall.

Northeast Bancorp, a Lewiston-based financial company and parent of Northeast Bank, recently announced a net income of $530,632, or $0.20 per diluted share, for its third quarter ended March 31, an increase of 37% compared to the $387,370, or $0.14 per diluted share, for the same quarter last year.

The New England Outdoor Center in Millinocket recently announced the launch of its new website, www.neoc.com.

Brian Champion of Libby, O’Brien, Kingsley & Champion, a law firm in Kennebunk and Waltham, Mass., was recently selected as a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

Trillium Asset Management Corp. in Boston recently added Coastal Enterprises Inc., a community development finance institution based in Wiscasset, to its list of community investment organizations available for client investment.

Acadia Business Advisors, a franchise and business development consulting firm in Portland, recently announced the launch of its ABA HR Solutions, a suite of web-based technologies to automate the hiring process and to more efficiently manage training and performance reviews.

FMC Cadd, an engineering resource center in Portland, recently made John Ossie a partner.

The Maine Community Foundation’s Community Building Grant Program recently awarded a total of $19,515 in grants to the following Androscoggin County nonprofits: Franco-American Heritage Center at St. Mary’s, Lewiston; Bates Dance Festival, Lewiston; Lewiston High School; Lewiston-Auburn Area Housing Development Corporation, Lewiston; New England School of Metalwork, Auburn; Rebuilding Together-Lewiston/Auburn, Lewiston; and the Visible Community, Lewiston.

The First Bancorp recently announced unaudited results for the quarter ended March 31. Net income was $2.7 million, up $22,000 or 0.8% from the previous quarter, and earnings per common share on a fully diluted basis were $0.24, about even with the previous quarter.

The MEMIC Group, a workers’ compensation insurance company in Portland, recently earned affirmation of its A rating from A.M. Best, an insurance industry rating organization.

Accolades

Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co. in Portland recently earned the title of best brew pub, according to a Portland Phoenix readers’ poll. Pure Movement in Portland was also voted best place for yoga and pilates and Portland’s best kept secret in the same poll.

Nickerson & O’Day, a construction firm in Brewer, was recently presented with the Richard J. Haines Memorial Award for Safety Excellence by the Construction Services Group Trust, a workers’ compensation insurance group.

The Acadia Hospital in Bangor recently awarded Dan Hoyt, an adult unit psychiatric clinician, with its Caught in the Act employee award.

The Maine International Trade Center recently announced the following winners of the 2010 Maine International Trade and Investment Awards: Fluid Imaging Technologies of Yarmouth received the Exporter of the Year award; Sprague Energy Corp. in South Portland and Searsport received the Service Provider of the Year award; Lighthouse Imaging Corp. of Portland received the International Innovator of the Year award; TransCanada of Calgary, Alberta, received the International Investor of the Year award; and Ruth Greene, vice president of planning and forecasting at Unum in Portland, received the President’s Award.

cPort Credit Union in Portland recently honored Ginnie Konan for marking her 50th year of employment with the credit union.

John Lortie and Steven Pelletier, environmental scientists at Stantec, a full-service engineering and architecture consulting firm with an office in Topsham, recently each received an award of professional excellence from the University of Maine’s Department of Wildlife Ecology.

The Maine Tourism Association recently announced that Libby’s Sporting Camps in Ashland is this year’s recipient of the Hall of Fame award is for its contributions to Maine’s hospitality and tourism industry.

The American College of Health Care Administrators recently selected John Pratt, a professor of health administration at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, to receive the organization’s journalism award.

The Greater Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau recently awarded Angie Helton, president of Northeast Media Associates in South Portland, the Member Volunteer of the Year award.

The New England Products Trade Show recently announced the winners of the 2010 Best New Product and Best Booth awards. The Best New Product Giftware award went to ShellStone Inc. in Portland, Laceypots in South Portland, CHART Metalworks in Portland and Ikebana Ware in Belfast. The Best New Product Specialty Food award went to Haven’s Candies in Westbrook. The Best Booth award went to ShellStone Inc. in Portland, Stillwood Pottery in Orono, Ember Grove in Portland, Wild Ivy Designs in Winterport and Better Than Average in Mechanic Falls.

The Maine Credit Union League recently received the first place Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award from the Credit Union National Association’s awards committee.

The Maine Center for Enterprise Development recently announced that Susan MacKay of Zeomatrix, a materials engineering company in Orono, is the 2010 Women in Technological Entrepreneurship award winner.

The Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va., recently awarded the Superior Merit Chapter designation to the Human Resources Association of Southern Maine for its scope of work in perpetuating and supporting the mission of the organization in 2009.

Paw-Zn-Around, a dog daycare facility in Saco, recently announced it has been selected for the 2010 Saco award in the boarding and dog daycare category by the U.S. Commerce Association.

David Prescott, director of performance improvement at The Acadia Hospital in Bangor, recently received the Caring About Lives in Maine award from the Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program.

David Dumont, chief of emergency medicine at Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln, recently received the 2010 Physician of the Year award from the Downeast Association of Physician Assistants.

The Maine Development Foundation and its Maine Employers’ Initiative recently recognized the following greater Kennebec Valley employers for their efforts in supporting employees’ higher education: Community Pharmacies, Augusta; Goold Health Systems, Augusta; Inland Hospital, Waterville; Kennebec Savings Bank, Augusta; Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, Augusta; Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, Waterville; Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield; Lohmann Animal Health International, Winslow; Madison Paper Industries, Madison; Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community, Augusta; MaineGeneral Health Systems, Augusta; MaineHousing, Augusta; Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Augusta; Maine Women’s Lobby and Women’s Policy Center, Hallowell; Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, Waterville; Motivational Services Inc., Augusta; MSAD #3 Adult Education, Thorndike; Redington-Fairview General Hospital, Skowhegan; Sheepscot Valley RSU Whitefield Adult Education, Whitefield; Unity College, Unity; Valley Distributors, Oakland; and the city of Waterville.

Legacy Publishing Co. in Westbrook, a producer and publisher of personal development products for families, recently announced that Austin Coltart is its sales rep of the month for April.

The American Network of Community Options and Resources recently named Dawn Doak of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England in Augusta its 2010 Direct Support Professional of the Year in Maine.

Spotlight

The Finance Authority of Maine recently approved 90% pro-rata commercial loan insurance for a $1,140,000 Gorham Savings Bank loan to Count & Crush, d/b/a Clynk, to help the company fund the acquisition of new sorting equipment, create four full-time positions and retain 51 full- and part-time Maine employees, according to a FAME press release. The pro-rata insurance covers up to 90% of the lender’s loss in the event of default and liquidation.

Clynk, headquartered in South Portland, employs a patented card-based technology for the redemption and recycling process. The cardholder receives credit for his or her bottles and cans by printing out a receipt at a Clynk kiosk, located at participating Hannaford Bros. Co. supermarkets throughout Maine.

Clynk offers redemption services at 25 locations and is scheduled to open another 16 locations in 2010.