Portland to honor four businesses for contributions to local economy

Photo / Courtesy, DiMillo's Old Port Marina The DiMillo restaurant enterprise dates back to 1954. DiMillo’s On the Water began serving seafood in 1982.

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By Laurie Schreiber

From ships to ecosystems, four Portland businesses are slated for recognition by the city of Portland and the Portland Development Corp.

The annual Business Awards, now in their 26th year, will be presented at an event on Nov. 21 at Ocean Gateway (14 Ocean Gateway Pier) from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

The awards go to local businesses for their contributions to the city's economy.

Portland Ship Yard, owned by Phineas and Joanna Sprague, will receive the Economic Development Award for the company's service to the working waterfront and the various businesses that make up the commercial industry, including fishing and passenger transportation.

The yard has facilities for full-service rigging, welding, alternating current electronics, fiberglass, paint/varnish, carpentry and cabinetry, along with parts and service capabilities and a TravelLift. The Sprague family has been in the business, on Portland’s waterfront, for over 40 years as a key part of Portland’s ocean economy.

The Small Business of the Year Award will go to Portland Community Squash. Located at 66 Noyes St., the sporting venue started as a grassroots effort to bring squash to Maine in 2013 with the goal of creating an inclusive and intentionally diverse squash community.

Hundreds of volunteers and thousands of supporters helped PCS to open the facility in January 2017. The facility offers squash, wellness and education to hundreds of adults and students. Currently serving an average of 200 students yearly, PCS has made a $6 million expansion to add three more courts and a cafe and to expand its reach further.

The Biodiversity Research Institute will be recognized as Portland Development Corp.’s Client of the Year. Located at 276 Canco Road, the nonprofit organization is dedicated to ecological research with the mission of assessing emerging threats to wildlife and ecosystems. The firm's story began in 1989 with the capture of a common loon on a Michigan lake by founder David Evers. More than three decades later, the institute's research spans over 50 countries in an effort to understand and mitigate the impacts of pressing ecological threats to wildlife and ecosystems. The mission is to promote sustainable practices and enhance ecological knowledge that benefits both local and global environments.

The Legacy Award will go to DiMillo’s On the Water. The DiMillo family has been serving food in Portland since Tony DiMillo opened his first restaurant, Anthony’s, in 1954. DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant began serving seafood on the water in 1982 and after 20 years changed its name to DiMillo’s On the Water.

The family-owned and operated establishment was the first floating restaurant to open on the northern East Coast. The marina provides summer and year-round dockage. DiMillo’s yacht sales are located in Portland, Freeport, Kennebunk and Kittery, plus Glen Cove, N.Y., and Oxford and West River, Md.