June 2019 Edition
Innovation
Sponsored by People's United Bank
5 Qs with Keith Carson
Weather Czar at NEWS CENTER Maine
Meet Keith at Central Maine Tech Night on June 13th.

1. What does the position of "Weather Czar" entail? 
[Keith Carson]: Mainly it’s forecasting, but sometimes it involves wearing makeup and taking Stormy [NEWS CENTER Maine's Storm Center vehicle] on school visits. The title started as a joke because Todd Gutner is CHIEF meteorologist, so I thought Czar was the next best thing.

2. You're well known for incorporating humor into your analyses. Why is it important to do so?
[KC]: You know when I first started in TV, a mentor I respect told me, “The worst thing you can be on television is boring.” I tend to agree. But more importantly, you have to be authentic or people can tell it’s an act. I’m authentically not a serious person, so why pretend?

3. What is one of the most significant misconceptions the public has about meteorology?
[KC]: Our degree of inaccuracy. It’s not just me being sensitive here - 5-day forecasts now are as good as 3-day forecasts were 15 years ago. 7-day forecasts are right over 70% of the time. We are really making amazing strides. So much so that people don’t even notice when it’s dead on anymore…they only notice if it’s not.

4. What is the most unexpected topic you learned when studying to become a meteorologist?
[KC]: I don’t know about unexpected but people don’t realize how much of studying to be a meteorologist is math and physics. It’s actually pretty brutal. I spent two years on calculus and physics before even talking about clouds in college.

5. We were lucky to have you return to Maine from The Weather Channel. How is the Maine viewership different from other audiences?
[KC]: Mainers are dedicated to the weather. They truly care because so many Mainers are outdoor workers or outdoor enthusiasts. The Weather Channel audience was large but it was transient. They might not watch again until the next big storm.
Small Business K now-How
People's United Bank is a proud supporter of Startup Maine , a three-day conference of expert insight, applied skill-building, and meaningful conversations that will help big things happen.

June 19-21 in Portland, and tickets are only $48. Register here and find a full schedule of events here .
Business Investment
Welcome Me Lon Togo Bistro to Waterville
The West African restaurant incorporates a European influence to deliver a fine dining experience in a relaxed atmosphere. Dining will be available Thursday-Saturday, and outdoor seating is offered during the summer.
Top Stories of May 2019
Biotech Firm Gets MTI Grant to Expand Waterville Laboratory - GenoTyping Center of America, whose laboratory is located in the Hathaway Creative Center, has grown approximately 90% over the each of the past three years, and expects to double its revenue in 2019 .

West African Cuisine to Join International Food Offerings in Waterville - Jordan Benissan, a professor music at Colby College, will open Me Lon Togo at 220 Main Street in downtown Waterville this spring. The restaurant will offer a fine dining experience of West African cuisine with a European influence in a comfortable atmosphere.

New Businesses, New Focus at Oakland's FirstPark Development - several new businesses coupled with the launch of a new marketing plan reflect the smart park's recent business development success, which will continue with plans for potential residential development and quality of life amenities.
Central Maine Real Estate Spotlight
Featured Commercial Property Location : 174-192 College Ave, Waterville, ME (known locally as former Marden's Surplus and Salvage).
Sale price: $ 350,000
Building size: 43,689 sq. ft.
Infrastructure:
  • Public water and sewer
  • 75 parking spaces
  • Mixed-use retail-commercial
Context:
  • Along highly-trafficked US. Rte. 201
  • Convenient access to I-95
  • Easy access to downtown Waterville and downtown Fairfield
Contact : Don Plourde | 207-660-4000 | dplourde@cbplourde.com
Workforce Investment
Employer Spotlight: Jacobs Glass & Jacobs Restoration
As the construction manager for one of Maine's leading commercial glazing and window restoration firms, Jeremy Whitehouse of Jacobs Glass & Jacobs Restoration in Winslow, ME knows how to take advantage of a window of opportunity .
The current construction boom encouraged Whitehouse to think creatively about sources of qualified workers, leading him to Katie McLaughlin, College and Career Advisor at the Mid-Maine Technical Center (MMTC) . Together, they "developed a plan to treat the high school student pre-apprenticeship process as a true hiring process ", states Whitehouse, and students prepared resumes and interviewed prior to being selected for pre-apprenticeship.

Once their two selected pre-apprentices (Odessa and Parker) began work performing window parts replication, wood epoxy repairs, and painting and fabricating components , any reservations Whitehouse held about the quality of the candidates vanished. "We have found that hiring younger workers has advantages in that they are highly motivated and easily teachable ", explains Whitehouse.

In fact, Odessa and Parker were hired on as full-time staff within weeks ! "After just a couple days, we were taken with their energy, enthusiasm, and skill sets," explains Whitehouse. "All of their attributes will be a great addition to the Jacobs team."
We hope you enjoy learning about local talent recruitment and retention strategies, and if your business has an innovative strategy or unique culture, please share with us!
Customized Training for Business Steps:
  • Consultation

  • Training design
  • Identify workforce development grants
Workforce Training & Professional Development: Heavy Equipment Operation
Check out Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) for your business training needs .

KVCC offers customized business training programs in leadership , communication skills , business writing , and more. We can also train your staff in Microsoft Office applications, QuickBooks accounting software, team building  programs, cyber security , Lean training and IT help desk training. 

We have the expertise to accommodate your most unique training needs. KVCC can also help you access funding to offset the cost of training your staff. Let KVCC help you strengthen your staff and your business. Call us today to get started on your new training plan.
Quality of Place
Sponsored by MaineGeneral Health
International Cuisine In Central Maine
How many local restaurants serving international cuisine have you visited?

Chinese

European Wine + Imports

Greek

Indian

Irish

Italian (excludes pizzerias)

Japanese

Latin + South American

Lebanese

Thai

West African
Vodka-cured salmon lox from Opa
Lemon Chicken Piccata from Amici's Cucina
West African gumbo from Me Lon Togo Bistro
Check out MaineGeneral's Prevention and Healthy Living guide and look for cooking classes like Better Burgers and Buddha Bowls.
Health Tip: Healthy Cooking
By MaineGeneral Health
Need help cooking and eating healthy?

We’re all busy. We want good food fast , and if it’s a little healthier, all the better!

You don’t have to look far for great classes to get the tips and tools of chefs with a talent to make good-for-you food taste great! MaineGeneral’s Prevention & Healthy Living will soon have its summer class guide out.

Look for cooking classes from Better Burgers to Buddha Bowls . They also have great classes on physical movement and mind & body. See what’s coming!
Stay connected with CMGC:
If you are an investor in CMGC and would like to submit content to CMGC Intelligence , simply reply to this e-mail to speak with Elaine Theriault-Currier.
Board of Directors:

Chris Gaunce, chair – Central Maine Motors Auto Group
Michael Heavener, vice chair – Town of Winslow
Beth Gibbs, treasurer – Thomas College
Lucille Zelenkewich, secretary – Peoples United Bank
John Dalton, past chair – Northern Light Health - Inland Hospital
Elizabeth Fortin – Kennebec Valley Community College
Paul Stein – MaineGeneral Health
Darlene Ratte – Best Western Plus
Michael Roy – City of Waterville
Gary Bowman – Town of Oakland
Michelle Flewelling – Town of Fairfield
Brian Clark – Colby College
Michael Runser – Valley Beverage
Allan Rancourt – Kennebec Federal Savings
Lisa Hallee – Bill & Joan Alfond Foundation
Donald Plourde – Coldwell Banker Plourde Real Estate
Tom Meucci - Huhtamaki

 Ex-Officio Board Members:
Laura Cyr – Kennebec Valley Council of Governments
Christian Savage - Somerset Economic Development Corporation
James Dinkle – Kennebec Regional Dev. Authority / FirstPark