Chamber Updates, Member News

& Tips for Business You Can Use

Dear Members,

Well last Friday was supposed to be our final newsletter of July but we decided to drop this week's early in order to highlight the two big events this weekend, The Landing Block Party and the Great State of Maine Air Show.

First off, the Block Party! All of the event details are below but we also wanted to provide some parking information given that we are expecting a full house!

• First choice is BNAM's lot
• The shared Flight Deck/Wild Oats back lot
• There's public parking along the airport fencing and near Blue Dog Daycare
• Molnlycke lot

With practice sessions for the weekend happening all day Friday, it will be a busy day on Brunswick Landing! But with so many family-friendly components to the Block Party, the effort will be worth it!

The Landing Block Party is back to kick-off Airshow Weekend with a free, family-friendly evening of entertainment, activities, food, and beverages for all! PLUS - meet the Airshow pilots, including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds!

Proceeds from food and beverage sales will benefit the Brunswick Education Community Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing an extra measure of support that can encourage creative spirit and bold experimentation in all of Brunswick’s public schools.



Co-hosted by Flight Deck and Wild Oats, the Block Party will encompass the entire "block", and feature:

FOOD TRUCKS 🌮

• Taco the Town 
• Rollin' Smoke BBQ 
• Ugly Dumpling 
• Cotton Candy 
• Vagabond Coffee 
• Wild Oats retail space open with food specials! 
• Flight Deck Pizza! 

GAMES & ACTIVITIES for kids and adults who have the spirit of a kid 😉

• BOUNCE HOUSE thanks to The Landing Y! 
• Friendship Bracelets 
• Paper Airplane Crafts 
• Face Painting

CURTIS MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOOK MOBILE 📚

LIVE MUSIC 🎶

• Sons of Quint
• Sometimes, Always

COMMUNITY PARTNERS 😊

• Brunswick Community Education Foundation (BCEF)
• The Landing YMCA
• Curtis Memorial Library
• Spark Cycling Studio
• Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum
• Civil Air Patrol 

And then we move onto the Great State of Maine Air Show!

Some things to know:

• The Route 123 entrance to the Landing is closed starting Thursday. All traffic must enter from one of the two Cook's Corner entrances.
• Tickets are sold online only so be sure to purchase them before heading to the show.
• One Day Passes include entry to the air show to enjoy static displays, concessions, souvenir booths and exhibitors. Seating is not included with a One Day Pass ticket, but you are encouraged to bring your own chair or blanket to sit on. There are various upgraded ticket options available that include things like assigned tables and seats, food, a shaded tent area, premium parking, and more!
• The gate for ticketed attendees opens at 8am on both Friday and Saturday. While you don't have to have a ticket to be on Brunswick Landing, you must have a ticket to get into the official show perimeter.
• Wild Oats will be closed both Saturday and Sunday so plan accordingly!
• Visiting Flight Deck requires a ticket prior to 3pm(ish). While dogs are normally welcome, they will not be permitted this weekend.

MRRA created an event map that includes road closures for the weekend (below) along with an event notification flyer (further below).

Though Brunswick was once a Navy town, there's no doubt that the Armed Forces have a rich and storied history in these parts and welcoming the Thunderbirds to the former BNAS is certainly a special nod to that history. It goes without saying that we are so grateful for the sacrifices made by every member of the US military and their families. We hope you'll take a moment to acknowledge those sacrifices while you enjoy the show!

Our next newsletter will drop on Friday, August 9th and will be chocked full of August events...summer isn't over!

The BBRC Team

Upcoming Chamber Events

August 12 @ 12

Patten Free Library

33 Summer Street, Bath

Wednesday, August 21st

12:00pm - 1:30pm

What's better than (free!) lunch with 11 other local professionals and five minutes to discuss your business with all of them? It's truly one of the best programs we run!

The April12@12 Networking Lunch will be held at the Patten Free Library on Wednesday, August 21st at noon.

Pre-registration is required, email Anthony to grab your spot!

Small Business Resources

Governor Mills Announces Launch of Maine Funding Network to Help Maine Businesses Explore & Secure Financing

New online portal is a one-stop shop for Maine business owners exploring public and non-profit financing options

Governor Janet Mills today announced the launch of the Maine Funding Network, a new online portal designed to be a one-stop shop to connect Maine businesses to financing options to help them grow and succeed.

The new resource, an initiative of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), is a centralized, easy-to-use platform designed to help interested borrowers easily navigate Maine’s menu of public and nonprofit business funding options. The portal was designed with input and feedback from Maine business owners, lenders, and economic development leaders.

“The Maine Funding Network will serve as a one-stop shop for Maine businesses as they explore funding options available from Maine’s public and nonprofit funding agencies,” said Governor Mills. “I thank the Finance Authority of Maine for working with my Administration to create this new resource, which will help keep Maine the best place to live, work, and start and grow a business.”

“Maine entrepreneurs, business owners, lenders, and local economic development entities told us they wanted an easy-to-find online resource that identifies funding resources and assistance – and we are delivering,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “Now the best business ideas in Maine can more easily access multiple funding resources in one location, making it that much easier to start or grow a business in Maine.”

The network initially will be comprised of fifteen partner organizations ranging from Maine business advisors to lenders to venture capital and is expected to grow.

“FAME is pleased to host this business funding network and to amplify the collective impact of our fellow economic development partners,” said Carlos Mello, CEO of the Finance Authority of Maine. “Whether it be a state-sponsored financing program or a local lending product, Maine businesses and entrepreneurs will now have far more solutions available to them in one location.”

Information on how to leverage the new portal can be found on the Maine Funding Network's website.

Governor Mills and Treasurer Beck Encourage Maine People to Claim Outstanding Relief Payments

Approximately 40,000 unclaimed relief payments are available through Maine’s Unclaimed Property program

Governor Janet Mills and Maine State Treasurer Henry Beck are encouraging Maine people to see if they are missing out on pandemic-era relief money that belongs to them.

During the pandemic and immediately following, Governor Mills and the Legislature created several relief payment programs to put money directly back into the pockets of Maine people.

Of the nearly 2.3 million payments distributed, approximately 40,000 checks (or nearly 2 percent) – totaling approximately $19 million – have never been cashed. This money has now been turned over to the Maine Unclaimed Property program and can be claimed by Maine people.

To determine if their relief payment has gone unclaimed, Maine people can visit the Maine Unclaimed Property program’s website at www.maineunclaimedproperty.gov.

You can read the full press release here.

Have a great weekend!

2024 Cornerstone Memberships

Cory is booking meetings all month long for Cornerstone Membership visits. These businesses are interested in elevating their commitment with the chamber to include sponsorship of the events and programs that the chamber initiates annually.  There are three levels of Cornerstone Membership for 2024, and they include all of your dues (or most of your dues at the third level) for 12 months. 

The top level is the Cornerstone Member level ($5000 annually) which includes:

• 12 months of dues for your main and branch offices
• Industry exclusivity at this level
• Top level marketing package and mentions and chamber events and chamber programs, including: BBRC Awards Dinner, Hacker’s Ball, Chamber After Hours, 12 @ 12, and much more
• Complimentary Tickets to the BBRC Awards Dinner in March
• Cornerstones are limited to 8 industry-specific businesses only (meaning 8 businesses from 8 separate industries)

The second level is the Chamber Partner level ($2000 annually) which includes:

• 12 months of dues for your main and branch offices
• Secondary level marketing package and mentions at chamber events and chamber programs, including: BBRC Awards Dinner, Hacker’s Ball, monthly Chamber After Hours, monthly 12 @ 12, and much more
• Complimentary Tickets to the BBRC Awards Dinner in March
• There is no industry exclusivity or limited amount of spots at this level- we will accept as many businesses who want to join us at this level

The third level is the Chamber Supporter level ($1000 annually) which includes:

• $400 dues voucher towards 12 months of dues
• Tertiary level marketing package and mentions at chamber events and chamber programs, including: BBRC Awards Dinner, Hacker’s Ball, monthly Chamber After Hours, monthly 12 @ 12, and much more
• Complimentary Ticket to the BBRC Awards Dinner in March
• We will accept as many businesses who want to join us at this level

For the full package, see the listing below. E-mail Cory (or call) if you're interested! Even if you’re not sure he can lay out the 2024 plan and talk about how your business or organization may fit a Cornerstone Membership.  

Chamber Works Program Updates

We wanted to again highlight some very exciting news about our workforce programs.

If your business is interested meeting students and showcasing your careers through:

• Work-Study Internships
• Job Shadows
• Career Bus Tours
• In-School Chats

…then we would love for you to take 5 minutes now to sign up. There are two ways to sign up and/or get more information...



If you're ready to register to be considered for either career bus tours or work-study internship programs, please fill out the following forms and e-mail them back to Anthony or Cory.

If you want to get more information on any of the four programs, or you want to sign up for the In School Chats, or Job Shadows program, please fill out this direct contact survey, it won't take more than a couple of minutes.

Brunswick Landing Neighborhood News

We’re thrilled to announce launch of Brunswick Landing Neighborhood News, a new publication of the BBRC focusing on Brunswick Landing events and business updates, news from MRRA, and infrastructure information. It is intended to both highlight things happening on Brunswick Landing, and to share information that is highly-impactful to Brunswick Landing businesses.

Please note that this is a separate newsletter from the weekly Chamber newsletter. If you would like to be included, you must sign up using this link.

Anyone is welcome to sign up however submissions will be limited to BL businesses and BL news with very few exceptions. Feel free to submit anything you think may be relevant but we will be the final arbiters of what is included. That said, your submission could very well end up in our regular Chamber newsletter. 

After Hours, 12 @ 12, & Cornerstone Info

Chamber After Hours hosts get the chance to show off their space to 60-80 attendees and educated them on their organization. While we are fully booked for the remainder of 2023, we're always happy to secure hosts for 2024. More information and application can be found below.

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Banking Member: 

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Commercial Real Estate Member: 

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Healthcare Member: 

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Automotive Sales Member: 

Darling's Brunswick Ford