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InTouchInTouchInTouch MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2012
50 ELM STREET, WATERVILLE, ME 04901 • TEL: (207) 873-3315 • FAX: (207) 877-0087
info@midmainechamber.com • www.midmainechamber.com
Nikki Desjardins, Chair of the Board • Kimberly N. Lindlof, President & CEO
Leading
Women's
Luncheon
Highlights in this Issue:
P. 2: From the President’s Chair
P. 2: Mid-Maine Chamber’s Centennial
P. 4: Member Events Calendar
P. 6: CMGC: Wealth Strategies
P. 8: Member Spotlight:
Kaplan University U.S. Senate Candidates’ Forum
Angus King
Independent for Maine
Andrew Dodge
Independent for Liberty
Cynthia Dill
Democrat
Danny Dalton
Non-Party
Charles Summers
Republican
Stephen Woods
Independent
2012 U.S. Senate Candidates’ forum will be moderated by Laurie
Lachance, president of Thomas College. President Lachance will conduct
the forum by asking each candidate questions of importance to Maine citi-
zens around business and economic issues, and responses will be of equal
time. This event is free and open to the public.
October 23, 2012
at Waterville Opera House
6-7:30PM
Major Sponsor:
October 25, 2012
11:30AM Networking
Noon Luncheon
at Best Western Plus
375 Main Street, Waterville
Speaker: Sara Burns, president of Central
Maine Power, will present her path to
success & her struggles along the way.
Men and Women are welcome.
$20 for members who pre-register
$25 registration at the door
$25 general admission
Includes luncheon buffet.
Email biz.dev@midmainechamber.com
or call 873-3315 to register.
- Kimberly
Business After Hours:
Mid-Maine Chamber’s Centennial
Continued on page 5
Charlie Haberstock is 8 years old and has a
business card collection of over 1,400
cards. He likes to know about each business
and asks many questions so he decided to
help us by interviewing some area business-
es. Below are excerpts from his interview.
Charlie received a little help from his mom,
Carrie Haberstock.
Tucked in to a historic corner of Water-
ville lies the oldest continuously open fami-
ly run furniture store in central Maine,
Hamelin Furniture Company. In the 1890's,
traveling jewelry salesman, Eugene James
Hamelin, sold his inventory while passing
through Waterville after learning his com-
pany went out of business and settled on the
corner of South Street and Western Avenue,
then called Mill Street. "In those days," says
grandson, John Hamelin, "it was common
for salespeople to go door to door asking
homeowners what they needed. My grand-
father started to buy furniture from crafts-
men, (usually funeral directors built when
'times were quiet'), store the pieces at home
and then deliver them to homeowners by
horse and cart. Soon he had built his busi-
ness up to where there was a demand for
more storage space. He had a two story
barn built behind his house which stands,
100 years later, in the same location and
now serves as display space for the compa-
ny. The city grew up around us filling in the
farm fields. The old trolley tracks that lead
to town are still under Western Avenue."
Thus began the family run retail store. Five
generations as of today, they supply quality
furniture from Maine, New England, and
the rest of the United States. They work
with manufacturers who stand by their
products and, because they have low over-
head, they can offer affordable prices. "We
are unique in that we are an old furniture
company that works with customers not as
a number," says John, "We do not have
delivery days. Our truck goes out whenever
there is an order, and we are here if our
customers need us.
Page 2
Veilleux’s Funeral Home & Are You Ready To Party?? 8 Elm Street, Waterville
October 17th 5:30-7:00 PM
Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
Door prizes, 50/50 raffle & other fabulous prizes!
$100’s in Chamber Gift Certificates will be given away
to one lucky winner in celebration of 100 years!
From the
President’s Chair
JOBS? QUALIFIED WORK-
FORCE? Which comes first?
To that end, the Mid-Maine
Chamber of Commerce is
working with local businesses
and area educators to satisfy the needs of both.
As a free member benefit you may post your
available positions on our website. It’s easy!
Email Robyn at biz.dev@midmainechamber.com
to get your username and password.
Help me to educate our future workforce so our
students of today can see first hand the skills
they are going to need to thrive professionally.
I’ll be reaching out to you in the upcoming week
to seek your participation to achieve this goal.
I’ll be coordinating bus tours with Waterville,
Winslow and Jobs for Maine's Graduates in mid-
November as well as setting up mock interviews
with students in late November.
Bowdoin Photography
Serving Kennebec & Somerset Counties With Products and Services For Your
Entire Family
www.taconnet.com
Winslow
207-872-7909
Skowhegan
207-474-2254
166 College Ave., PO Box 215 Waterville, ME 04903-0215
www.az-cpa.com
166 College Ave., PO Box 215 Waterville, ME 04903-0215
www.az-cpa.com
Full Service Office Supplies Retail Store and Furniture Showroom
in Downtown, Skowhegan
The Paper Klip
New & Used Furniture
A Local, Independent, Family- Owned & Operated Company
www.WarrensOfficeSuppplies.com 800.924.9006
Thank you to our
50/50 Sponsor:
Sponsored by:
Colby students assisted MMCC on
C2IT day. Thank you Colby College!
Page 3
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Waterville Main Street is
pleased to announce that
Jennifer Olsen has accepted the
position of executive director. Olsen has
served as the executive director of Main Street
Skowhegan since March of 2010, and in that
time, has achieved a number of successes,
including developing a downtown strategic
plan, leading and implementing a community-
wide branding initiative, and helping the town
secure a $400,000 Communities for Maine’s
Future grant to redesign the pedestrian corri-
dors in downtown. Welcome!
Heather Hodgkins was recently hired in De-
velopment for Good Will-Hinckley. Welcome
Heather!
MaineGeneral Health announced that
effective January 1, 2013, Chuck Hays
will take over as CEO of MaineGen-
eral Health and will assume overall responsi-
bility for the leadership of the state’s third
largest health care system. Scott Bullock will
step down as CEO but will remain as Presi-
dent and, over the next few years, will focus
on supporting Hays with policy and planning
issues, physician recruitment, community and
governmental relations and fund-raising.
Waterville Police Department an-
nounces the following recent promo-
tions: Duane Cloutier to the rank of detective;
Jennifer Weaver, Alden Weigelt and Lincoln
Ryder to the rank of sergeant.
Kennebec Savings Bank recently
announced the addition of Katie
Coughlin Vickers to the bank’s
family of employees. Hired as vice
president & commercial banking officer,
Katie’s primary responsibility will be cash
management and small business relationships.
eWaste Recycling Solutions, LLC, announc-
es the hiring of Al Ahlers as its environmental
compliance manager and Leo Amaral as its
operations manager. Ahlers is in charge of
implementing and executing ERS’ environ-
mental management system. Amaral oversees
ERS’ transportation, warehouse and recycling
operations.
Andre Giguere will now be teach-
ing tennis lessons full time at
Champions Fitness Club in
Waterville. Since 2005, Andre has
been teaching and in 2008, be-
came a certified instructor through the Profes-
sional Tennis Registry.
Congratulations to Wayne
Gendreau of Accounting
Solutions who recently received "A Commu-
nity Award" by the Waterville Board of Edu-
cation for his time and contributions to the
George J Mitchell Before/After School Child
Care Program.
Ambreen Ijaz, MD, a medical oncologist at
MaineGeneral’s Harold Alfond Center for
Cancer Care, has been named one of two na-
tional chairs of the bladder disease
committee for Via Pathways.
Dan Brown began his duties as a ca-
reer Firefighter/Driver for the Waterville Fire
Department recently and Allison Brochu start-
ed with the City of Waterville’s Finance De-
partment as a Finance Clerk I.
Summit Natural Gas
Michelle Moorman
1-800-720-8193
7810 Shaffer Parkway, Suite 120
Littleton, CO 80127
www.summitmaine.com mmoorman@summitutilitiesinc.com
Welcome Wagon
Rhonda Picard
207-314-3533 Rhonda.picard@welcomewagon.com
www.welcomewagon.com
3 Old Quarry Road
Vassalboro, ME 04989
Maine Technology Group
Tracy Gervais
100 Pleasant Street
Waterville, ME 04901
207-692-0954
tracy@mainetechgroup.com
www.mainetechgroup.com
Mid-Maine Regional Adult
Community Education
Susan Tuthill
207-873-5754
1 Brooklyn Avenue
Waterville, ME 04901
stuthill@aos92.org
midmaine.maineadulted.org
Common Street Arts
Emilie Knight
207-577-2488
16 Common Street
Waterville, ME 04901
info@commonstreetarts.com
commonstreetarts.com
Northeast Coffee Company
Dan Davis
207-474-3321
1033 Waterville Road
Skowhegan, ME 04976
dandavis@northeastcoffeeco.com
www.northeastcoffeeco.com
Page
4
October 3: Kaplan University will be hosting a ribbon-cutting
ceremony to inaugurate the new
location in Augusta at 14 Market-
place Dr., Augusta from 10AM-12PM.
October 5: Maine State Chamber of Com-
merce’s Annual Dinner, a celebration in hon-
or of U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe at the
Augusta Civic Center, 4:30PM. FMI & to
register: http://events.mainechamber.org.
October 6 & 7: REM Craft Fair & Soup
Fest at Champions Fitness Club
in Waterville. 10AM-6PM Satur-
day & 10AM-3PM Sunday.
October 8: Unity College will host a Passive
House Academy training class from 2-
5:30PM. Passive House standards, which
originate in Darmstadt, Germany are charac-
terized by super insulation, air tight construc-
tion and fully mechanized ventilation and
represent a savings in building energy costs
of 80-90%. FMI & to register:
www.passivehouseacademy.com, Naomi
C.O. Beal at 710-9478 or ncobpho-
to@me.com.
October 10: The IRS is putting on a Small
Business Workshop: Reaching Out To Small
Business Owners About Taxes from 5:30-
7PM Videoconferencing technology will be
provided by the following sponsoring librar-
ies which will allow participation at these
locations: Maine State Library Augusta; York
Public Library York; Portland Public Library
Portland; Pittsfield Public Library Pittsfield;
Norway Public Library Norway; Lewiston
Public Library Lewiston; Skowhegan Free
Public Library Skowhegan;
Thompson Free Library
Dover Foxcroft; Carey Li-
brary Houlton; Cherryfield
Public Library Cherryfield.
October 13: Family Hike with
Kennebec Messalonskee Trails in
Oakland at 10AM. Join them for a
beautiful fall hike along the Messa-
lonskee Stream Trail. Options for
all ages and abilities. Sign up for the Inland
Hospital’s Let’s Go! Family Fun Series and
register to win a $500 LLBean gift card!
FMI: inlandhospital.org or 861-3292.
October 13: Comedian Bob Marley at 7PM
& 9PM at Waterville Opera House. FMI:
www.operahouse.org.
October 13: American Red Cross Blood
Drive 9AM-2PM in the Medical Arts Confer-
ence Room, Inland Hospital.
Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE or visit
americanredcross.org to sign up
today. Please bring a photo ID:
walk-ins also welcome.
October 16: The Kennebec
Montessori School will hold a Parent Work-
shop on the Montessori curriculum at 6:30
p.m. Discover how preschool children learn
to read and write the Montessori way. Ideal
for prospective parents; all are welcome.
FMI: 453-6055;
www.kennebecmontessori.org .
October 20 & 21: Come to Downtown
Waterville for a day of family fun at Harvest
Fest. Hay rides, scarecrow building, family
pumpkin carving, pumpkin
bowling, candy apple making,
pony rides and more! FMI:
www.watervillemainstreet.org.
October 20: Inland Pops Concert, 7PM at
the Waterville Opera House. FMI:
www.operahouse.org.
Oct. 20: Jane of All Trades Hardy Girls
Healthy Women Meet the women of Wom-
en Unlimited who will teach us about women
in the fields of carpentry, construction and
more. Learn how the trades help the environ-
ment. In this adventure girls will work to-
gether to construct their very own bat house!
Location: Hardy Girls, 14 Common St.,
Waterville.
October 27: Join Hardy Girls Healthy
Women as they get out their broomsticks,
cauldrons and sneakers for a Hardy Girls
Halloween Event - the 4th Annual Freaky 5K
Fun Run at Colby College. There will be
awards and prizes for Scariest Costume, Most
Creative Costume, Biggest Team, and Top
Fund-raiser. Plus a short fun run for kids 8
and younger! Come show us your best and
scariest costumes! FMI & to
register: http://www.hghw.org/ November 2: Alfond Youth
Charity Ball at 7:30PM. All proceeds benefit
community youth by providing scholarships
in the Alfond Youth Center’s After School
Program, Kid’s Kitchen, Summer Enrichment
Program & Camp Tracy.
November 3: Annual Corpus Christi Har-
vest Dance at the Waterville Elks Club.
Hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, raffle and
door prizes. DJ Steve Colella.
FMI & tickets: 872-2281.
November 3: Kennebec Mon-
tessori School will hold its
25th Annual Auction at the Winslow VFW.
Social hour begins at 5PM; Dinner catered by
Eric's; live music and cash bar. Professional
auctioneer Mike Fredericks. Oodles of items
donated by local business as well as hand-
crafted goods and services. Tickets are
$15/25 per couple. All are welcome. All pro-
ceeds benefit KMS. FMI: 453-6055;
www.kennebecmontessori.org.
Page 5
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clients, both in Maine and across the country. We under-
stand that each stage in life presents unique challenges and
opportunities. We also know that wherever you are in life
– expanding your business, adding to your family, looking
forward to your retirement or any stage in between – being
prepared for change is crucial to future growth.
Contact us today for a personalized consultation in regard
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Securities offered through Investors Capital Corporation
Member FINRA / SIPC
12 Monument St Winslow, Me 04901
207-872-2636
www.wcfcu.com
COMMUNITY PEOPLE YOU KNOW
The Waterville Public Library Business & Career
Center (WPLBCC) will host the following business
workshops in October and November 2012. Pre-
registration is necessary. Please contact Tammy
Rabideau at 680.2611 or business@watervillelibrary.org for more
information.
Understanding Your Business Numbers: Wednesday, Oct.
10, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. You do your bookkeeping, reg-
ularly recording transactions, but are you getting useful in-
formation back? In this workshop we’ll review the most
common financial statements, where the numbers come
from, what they mean and how they can help you manage
your business. Instructor: Janet Roderick, Maine SBDC
Certified Business Counselor.
Three Keys of Email Marketing: Wednesday, Oct. 17, 10:00
a.m. – 10:30 a.m. In this brief session participants will dis-
cover how communicating with customers regularly can
help a small business stay connected and generate increased
referrals, repeat sales, and unwavering customer loyalty.
Facilitator: Tracy O’Clair.
Social Media Marketing 101: Wednesday, Oct. 17, 11:00 a.m.
– 12:30 p.m. This introductory session covers strategies and
best practices to get the most out of social media activities.
Discussion will include creating good content for social me-
dia marketing campaigns, incorporating social media mar-
keting into business without losing productivity, and more.
Facilitator: Tracy O’Clair.
QuickBooks 101: Tuesday, Oct. 23, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. This
session will cover the fundamentals of QuickBooks Pro.
How to set it up, write checks, invoice customers, receive
payments and pay bills. We’ll also review reports that you
can easily produce to let you know how your
business is doing. This workshop is designed for
people who have not yet started using Quick-
Books. Instructor: Janet Roderick, Maine SBDC
Certified Business Counselor.
Marketing Strategy Development: Wednesday, Nov. 7, 10:30
a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Marketing is more than advertising. Eve-
ry business should have a marketing strategy to help you
reach your target market effectively, efficiently and inexpen-
sively. We’ll discuss how to develop your marketing strate-
gy. Instructor: Janet Roderick, Maine SBDC Certified Busi-
ness Counselor.
Power of Email Marketing: Wednesday, Nov. 14, 10:30 a.m.
– 12:00 p.m. Email is the most cost-effective, targeted,
trackable, and efficient way to build and maintain relation-
ships for all types of business and organizations. In this ses-
sion participants will discover how communicating with
customers regularly can help a small business stay connect-
ed, and generate increased referrals, repeat sales, and unwa-
vering customer loyalty. Facilitator: Tracy O’Clair.
QuickBooks Intermediate: Tuesday, Nov. 27, 1:00 p.m. –
4:00 p.m. This session will address your most pressing
QuickBooks questions. It will also cover: Tricky Transac-
tions, Working with Reports, Advanced Features, Tips and
Tricks. Please be ready with your specific questions and
issues. This seminar is designed for those who have been
using QuickBooks for at least 6 months. Instructor: Janet
Roderick, Maine SBDC Certified Business Counselor.
Tammy Rabideau is Business & Career Center Coordinator at
the Waterville Public Library. FMI: 207.680.2611,
trabideau@watervillelibrary.org.
Business Workshops at the Waterville Public Library By Tammy Rabideau
Centennial Continued from page 2
Our customers are our first priority and our most valued form of advertisement is
word-of-mouth. Being a member of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce helps
us to get our information to our customers, to gain new customers and to stay in-
volved and connected with the businesses in our surroundings. We have been a
member since 2001.” Be sure to stop by and relax in the many high quality varie-
ties of sofas, chairs and mattresses. "One customer," says John, "fell asleep while
sampling our mattress selection and her husband could not find her until he heard
her snoring!"
Mom and I liked the reclining mattress with built in massage features!
Charlie sampling
one of the many
varieties of beds
with a friend at
Hamlin Furniture
Company.
Page
Upcoming Events
October 11: Business Breakfast Series
7:30-9 AM Thomas College
U.S. House of Representatives Candidates’
Forum
Maine State Senate President,
Kevin Raye (confirmed) and Con-
gressman Mike Michaud (invited).
October 17: Business After Hours
5:30-7 PM Veilleux’s Funeral Home & Are
You Ready To Party??
8 Elm Street, Waterville
October 23: U.S. Senate
Candidates’ Forum
6 PM Waterville Opera House
93 Main Street, Waterville
October 25: Leading Women’s Luncheon
11:30AM-1PM Best Western Plus
375 Main Street, Waterville
6
27 Cool Street • Waterville, ME 04901 (207) 873-0721 • Fax (207) 877-2287
www.genesishcc.com Rehabilitation and Living Centers
Oct 2 Tue. 8:00 AM Bus. Attraction & Retention
Chamber Boardroom
Oct 18 Thurs. 11:30 AM BBS Committee
Thomas College
Oct 24 Wed. 8:00 AM Membership
Chamber Boardroom
Oct 26 Fri. 7:30 AM Board of Directors Retreat
Waterville Opera House
Nov 1 Thur. 12:00 PM Info Services
Mei Dream
Dec 5 Wed. 7:30 AM Public Policy
Chamber Boardroom
Chamber Tips of the Month Did you know that you can post “Hot Deals” and “Job Postings” on our Web site at no charge?
Did you know you can purchase Ads on our Web site for just $10 per thousand views (minimum $50) for a skyscraper ad or $2 per thousand views (minimum $20) for a block ad? Email biz.dev@midmainechamber.com for details.
CMGC: WEALTH Strategies for
Economic Growth Having completed my first year with
Central Maine Growth Council (CMGC),
I have had the opportunity to take a “fresh
eyes” approach to identify the region’s
economic strengths and weaknesses and
identify strategies to support economic
growth. The members of the Board of
Directors have created a Strategic Plan
that outlines the changing focus of CMGC
for the next two years. Goals and priori-
ties established include: Organization &
Administration; Financial Stability &
Sustainability; Alliances & Partnerships;
and Regional Growth Strategy. As we
achieve the outlined steps of the Plan, we
should see a corresponding growth and
strengthening of the economy of central
Maine.
Priority 1: Organization & Administra-
tion: The purpose is to bring new mem-
bers and enthusiasm to the CMGC and its
Board of Directors and strengthen the
organization’s delivery system to shape
its future.
Priority 2: Financial Stability & Sus-
tainability: For CMGC to continue to lead
the region on the path to economic
growth, it must be able to stabilize and
sustain operations through active partici-
pation and financial investment from pri-
vate enterprise and continued public sec-
tor support.
Priority 3: Alliances & Partnerships:
CMGC will need to build strong connec-
tions with municipalities, local organiza-
tions, and private enterprise; and strength-
en partnerships with Colby, Thomas,
KVCC, Unity, and UMaine Augusta to be
successful in leading entrepreneurship and
economic development efforts in the re-
gion.
Priority 4: Regional Growth Strategy
& Focus: CMGC must take the reins in
the implementation of a regional strategic
plan, followed by a marketing plan.
CMGC has identified six areas of concen-
tration that would enhance existing busi-
nesses, attract new businesses, and en-
courage investment. Those areas are:
Workforce & Education; Entrepreneur-
ship & Arts/Culture; Logistics & Trans-
portation; Technology & Energy; and
Healthcare. We refer to this as our
“WEALTH” strategy.
There is more to our “WEALTH”
strategy than just an acronym. It repre-
sents work in the trenches, creating op-
portunities, marketing our region, and
connecting people and resources. There is
a lot of economic development activity
happening now in the region. At times we
will take the lead in driving initiatives,
and at other times, we will help clear the
path for others who are leading positive
change. Economic growth and stability is
a collaborative effort that will require the
efforts of many to guarantee success.
FMI: 680-7300
dsterling@centralmaine.org
www.centralmaine.org.
By Darryl Sterling
AAA Travel & Insurance current-
ly offers Maine license renewal and
replacement for Class C. Must be
within 6 months of expiring, bring a
birth certificate or passport, license and social
security number. Open M-F 8:30-5PM & Sat-
urday 9AM-1PM. FMI: 207-873-0692
Congratulations to BONNEY Staffing Center
that recently won MEMIC's Safety Manage-
ment Award for overall safety performance
and claims management.
Somerset Economic Development
Corporation recently announced the
receipt of a $150,000 grant from the
Sewall Foundation to grant funds to
area farmers, value added food processors and
distributors affiliated with the Skowhegan
Food Hub and Somerset Grist Mill projects.
The 2012 Sewall grant will be used in con-
junction with a $25,000 grant SEDC received
form the Betterment Fund to assist farmers and
food processors to increase their capacity and
efficiencies in the production of locally grown
and processed foods for distribution both with-
in the region and to markets outside of the
region.
Kelly Services announces that
Oct. 5 is National Manufacturing
Day. Manufacturing Day is for
students, parents, educators, me-
dia, customers, suppliers and the community at
large. Visitors will learn about real career op-
portunities, training, and resources. In addi-
tion, manufacturers will learn about business
improvement resources and services delivered
through manufacturing extension partnerships.
FMI: http://www.mfgday.com.
Dairy Queen has added a smoothie
shop, Orange Julius at the 161
College Ave., Waterville location.
Check out www.skillsrecycling.org for a
search tool that offers advice on how to
recycle just about everything – even
vacuum cleaners! You’ll be amazed
at what you can recycle. FMI: cmar-
tin@infotechexchange.org.
Want a free T-Shirt? Then join Silver
Street Tavern’s Mug Club and be en-
tered into its monthly drawings only
offered to its Mug Club members. FMI:
contact anyone at SST.
United Way of Mid-Maine kicked off its fall
Annual Giving Campaign recently at Spec-
trum Generations in Waterville and an-
nounced a fund-raising goal of $782,000.
Melissa Higgins, of Northeast Labs and Unit-
ed Way Board chair, highlighted United
Way’s mission which is to improve people’s
lives. It focuses on 4 very specific areas in
assisting its most vulnerable community mem-
bers: basic needs like food & shelter, financial
literacy & stability, school readiness & life
skills, and health & wellness. This year’s
Campaign Chairs are Michael & Debbie Byrne
of Century 21 Surette Real Estate.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following Mid-
Maine Chamber members who are finalists in
the 2012 Best
Places to Work:
Bangor Savings
Bank, BONNEY Staffing Center, Maine
Savings Federal Credit Union and
Skowhegan Savings Bank. The Best Places
To Work banquet will be held on Oct. 11 at
the Ramada Inn, Lewiston.
Pine View Homes was awarded with the Best
in Show for vendors at the 2012 Windsor Fair.
Champions Fitness Club is happy to
announce that it will be offering a spe-
cial room for cross training, which will
include pull up bars, dip bars, kettle bells,
jump ropes and more. FMI: Lisa Deane,
lisa@championsfitnessclub.com.
Check out Maine’s new Energy Office Web
site: www.Maine.gov/energy, which provides
a home heating calculator as well as compre-
hensive information and data on energy issues,
incentives, initiatives, reports, policies and
costs. The Web site offers an interactive
Home Heating Calculator that allows consum-
ers to estimate their average annual heating
costs and presents the price impacts of various
energy sources.
Interested in hosting an off-site meeting in a
clean, newly renovated, affordable facility?
Check out the Waterville Opera House.
Waterville Opera House is conveniently locat-
ed in the heart of downtown Waterville, and
can offer breakout rooms. It is fully handi-
capped accessible and offers a variety of au-
dio/video capabilities. FMI: 873-7000 or
athibodeau@operahouse.org.
KVCC has been awarded a
$736,000 grant from the National
Science Foundation for its new
Energy Services and Technology
program to produce more qualified technicians
to meet the growing demand from Maine-
based energy services employers who need
workers that possess a combination of cross-
cutting technical skills and the ability to prob-
lem-solve complex, systemic issues.
Oxford Networks announced that Joe Hodge,
vice president data center and IT solutions, and
Dave Johnson, senior data center engineer,
received IBM PureFlex certification in both
the sales and technical designations. The IBM
PureFlex system is an infrastructure system
that provides an integrated computing system
combining servers, storage, networking, virtu-
alization and management into a single plat-
form.
Page 7
Page 8
50 Elm Street
Waterville, ME 04901
PRE-SORTED STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #146
Waterville, ME 04901
Have some news you would like to share? Submit a short announcement to the Chamber office by the 3rd Friday of the prior month. Inserts are also available for $125 per month. Call 873-3315 or email info@midmainechamber.com. Disclaimer: The Mid-Maine Chamber’s InTouch newsletter is published monthly as a benefit to members and affili-
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Kaplan University Opens in Augusta
K aplan University, a leader in higher educa-
tion innovation, recently opened a third Maine
location in Augusta, which will help meet the
growing demands for adult learners and area
employers. The Augusta facility operating out
of the former Staples building at 14 Market-
place Drive, near Regal Cinemas, has several
classrooms and computer labs, plus specialty
laboratory areas for Nursing, Medical Assist-
ing, and Criminal Justice firearms simulation.
Kaplan University Maine President Dr.
Christopher Quinn said the new location will
give Augusta-area students more options and
Kaplan more access to a large population cen-
ter. "It's really to expand on our mission here
in Maine in terms of servicing non-traditional
students, working adults who want to come
back and give themselves more opportunity in
a new career," Quinn said.
The Augusta location started classes in
September with classroom, online and blended
programs that
mirror the
associate’s
bachelor’s and
master’s programs offered in South Portland
and Lewiston, such as accounting, business
administration, criminal justice, early child-
hood development, medical assisting and para-
legal studies.
"We work closely with local employers to
concentrate our programs in disciplines that
prepare students for work in fields that reflect
the employment needs of the community,"
said President Quinn. “The recent investment
underscores Kaplan University’s commit-
ment to meet the growing needs of both adult
learners and local employers. Our expan-
sion comes at a critical time for Maine’s eco-
nomic future as in-demand jobs increasingly
will require post-secondary education. As the
state’s population ages, it’s vitally important
that working age adults in Maine have a col-
lege education to meet the growing demand.”
Kaplan has very career-focused program-
ming and offers college degrees that are rele-
vant to the job market which will help people
get a job after graduation. The university also
distinguishes itself with exceptional student
services, which are very personalized and ex-
tremely proactive. The opportunity to take
classes during the day or evening sessions,
starting every ten weeks, also provides work-
ing adults with the flexibility to go back and
get their college degree.
Kaplan University leaders have stated that
they are quite eager to collaborate with their
peers from all the colleges and universities in
Kennebec County, and they are committed to
providing employers with top quality, work-
place readied graduates.