May 2019 Edition
Innovation
Sponsored by People's United Bank
5 Qs with Brendan Paradis + Zach Atherton
Co-founders, Lockout Labs LLC

1. How did you become partners and co-found Lockout Labs LLC? 
[BP,ZA]: We studied Electrical Engineering Technology together at the University of Maine. Since then, we have stayed close and are always working on a wide variety of projects and hobbies together. When the idea for the Lockout came up, it was a pretty easy choice to start a company.

2. Who were your entrepreneurial influences and resources to support you through the startup process?
We are both pretty green when it comes to the business world. Our biggest entrepreneurship-related resource has been SCORE. As far as design and product manufacturing are concerned, we did the research and handled it internally but the learning curve was steep and we learned a lot along the way.

3. What problem does your patented product, the FT Lock, solve?
Test switches are extremely common in electrical substations, and operation/isolation of them is a critical daily routine. Until now, switches commonly referred to as “FT Switches”, which are responsible for isolating sensitive and possibly dangerous equipment, have been isolated by simply leaving open or at best wrapping with electrical tape. We have designed and are producing the first purpose built lockout device for this switch, allowing safer, faster, and much more reliable isolation of these critical circuits.

4. The FT Lock is patent pending. What is it like to apply for a patent in the US?
Slow! We were new to the patent process and didn’t know what to expect. We knew we wanted the protections afforded by a patent, as our product was truly unique, but didn’t know where to start. We hired a firm out of Portland who guided us throughout the process, which was full of writing and reviewing legal descriptions of our product.

5. As a MaineBiz Startup to Watch in 2018, can you give us a glimpse into your plans for 2019?
We are excited to continue to grow our customer base and work on sales of our FT Lock, but are also beginning to look forward toward new products in the testing world. With the company formed and a positive reputation with our customers, we are excited to work on even more advanced devices to solve other daily problems and safety concerns faced by field service personnel.
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.

Business Investment
Small Business Waterville Week
May 1-9
Small Business Waterville is honoring Small Business Week by offering a week of free programs for small business development. To learn more about the sessions (listed below) and to register, click here .

Central Maine Real Estate Spotlight
Featured Commercial Property Location : 120 Augusta Road, Winslow, ME
Space size: 2,241 sq. ft.

Lease rate + type: $2,500 / month, NNN

Infrastructure:
  • Custom built-ins
  • Large conference room
  • Private offices and cubicles
  • Kitchen
  • Staging and receiving area

Context:
  • Great visibility on Rte. 201
  • Easy access to I-95 via KMD

Contact : Don Plourde, 207-660-4000 [email protected]
Workforce Investment
Maine's First Virtual Job Fair
May 7, 2019
With no geography, transportation, climate, or time constraints, your talent search is more convenient than ever.

Developed by CMGC, the Maine Virtual Job Fair will connect you with job-seekers and graduating students throughout Maine from the convenient of your office.

Register today by replying to this e-mail. Participation is free for CMGC investors.
About Workforce Training & Professional Development at KVCC

  • Provides non-credit and customized training programs to individuals, businesses and organizations in the Kennebec, Somerset and Knox counties

  • Designs customized business training programs to train new hires or upskill incumbent workers

  • Offers flexible scheduling and on- or off-site locations
Workforce Training & Professional Development
The right training for your office staff is essential to an efficient business. Workforce Training & Professional Development at Kennebec Valley Community College is a great resource for your office training needs. 

We have instructors who can train at all levels of Microsoft Office products and QuickBooks software . Optimizing the use of these programs can bring your business to the next level. 

We also offer quality training in supervisory skills, communications, technical writing, business writing, grant writing and more. If you have specific needs, we can work together to design a training just for you.

To learn more about how KVCC can assist with your training needs, call 207.453.5858 or visit our website.
Quality of Place
Sponsored by MaineGeneral Health
Paul J. Schupf Commits Leadership Gift to Downtown Arts Center
The gift by the Colby College Trustee Emeritus (LL.D. '06) ushers in a new phase for the Downtown Arts Center project, which "will bring vibrancy to the core of Main Street and be a major contributor toward establishing the city as a destination for the arts ."
Health Tip: May is National Stroke Awareness Month
By MaineGeneral Health
Anyone can have a stroke. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. Learn how to recognize the signs of a stroke and act FAST. Learn more here.
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:
Kimberly Lindlof – CMGC & Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce
Laura Cyr – Kennebec Valley Council of Governments
Christian Savage - Somerset Economic Development Corporation
James Dinkle – Kennebec Regional Dev. Authority / FirstPark