by Jamie Logan and Bryan Roche
The Maine Icons team is always happy to see the leaders and entrepreneurs that we profile continue their success. This month, we have several exciting updates to share with you about these movers and shakers. Let’s take a peek at what they’ve been up to…
Congratulations are in order for Maine Icons Kevin French and Shawn Moody as both of their companies have once again earned a spot on the annual “Best Places to Work in Maine” list. Landry/French Construction came in at number three in the small employer category while Moody’s Co-worker Owned, Inc. landed at 15th in the medium employer category. Well done!
Maine Icon Susan Corbett, who has been with Axiom Technologies since 2005, has announced that she is stepping down as the CEO. Axiom President Mark Ouellette has been tabbed as her replacement. Under Corbett’s leadership, the company has doubled in size and connected more than 2500 square miles of rural Maine through the construction of over 100 access points. Corbett will continue working in the technology center, and with Axiom, as Director of the National Digital Equity Center. In her new role, Corbett will oversee the Maine Digital Inclusion Initiative in its efforts to close the digital divide in Maine.
Emerging Icon Noah Bissell, his brother Peter and their incredibly popular beer company, Bissell Brothers, were featured in Down East Magazine. This summer, the duo opened a new location of their popular taproom and brewery – but a bit outside of Portland. Instead, they opted for the small, northern town of Milo. It wasn’t a random choice, but the brothers’ hometown. They also say the increasing congestion of craft breweries in Portland, as well as cheap property prices in Milo, helped drive their move. Don’t despair if you’re in Portland, though – their Thompson’s Point location is still open and as hopping as ever.
Maine’s craft brewing scene continues to grow. Sean Sullivan, Emerging Icon and head of the Maine Brewers’ Guild, was cited in a Bangor Daily News story on the economic impact of the craft brewing industry. Sullivan shared information about three new breweries slated to open in Maine as part of a discussion about the overall growth of the industry. In Maine, the industry has grown by 40% just since January 2017.
Maine Icon Heather Blease announced that her company, SaviLinx, will be adding nearly 200 jobs. The increased need is due to a large, seasonal government contract the company received. Already employing 100 people in Maine, SaviLinx has also recently renovated their Brunswick Landing headquarters to accommodate the need for new hires.
In September, it was announced that all units have been sold in The Mason Block, a new condo building on India Street in Portland. The luxury condo development was built by Landry/French Construction, which is owned by Maine Icon Kevin French. Prices for units in the building range from a studio for $299,000 to a three-bedroom for $750,000, and several units were purchased by out-of-state professionals based in DC, New York or California.