Articles by Matt Wickenheiser
Maine entrepreneurs take a lesson from Google
PORTLAND, Maine — C.H. Becksvoort, a maker of fine furniture in New Gloucester, is on the Web, but not enough potential customers are finding their way to the site. So Peg Becksvoort spent Friday morning with some experts in search engine optimization and website development — and she went right ...
Former Oxford call center workers sue after layoffs
OXFORD, Maine — Former employees of an Oxford call center that closed in April have filed a class action lawsuit, claiming the company failed to give them proper advance notice of the layoffs under federal law. Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN Act, companies with more ...
Carbonite positions itself for future growth in Maine
LEWISTON, Maine — Roughly a year ago, Carbonite Inc. opened its customer support call center here, bringing jobs to Maine that had once been in New Delhi, India — an example of the “onshoring” of jobs trend that’s still relatively rare. On Tuesday, the company unveiled new space it had ...
WICKI BIZ (blog)
Maine Oxy hopes to send more care boxes to active military
on July 23, 2012, at 12:15 p.m.
Auburn-based Maine Oxy, a supplier of welding supplies and industrial gases, has set new goals for its program that puts together care package donations for active duty military in war zones. The program, Maine Oxy Supports the Troops, began in 2004, but the company recently set a new goal of ...
WICKI BIZ (blog)
Snowe to USTR: Talk to Maine workers on visit
on July 20, 2012, at 2:50 p.m.
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe said Friday that she hopes Ambassador Ron Kirk, the U.S. Trade Representative, will talk to workers on the floor when he visits a Maine New Balance shoe factory later this year, talking to them “about their efforts to innovate and remain afloat in the global market ...
Katahdin Bankshares sees earnings dip in Q2
Katahdin Bankshares Corp. said Friday it had second-quarter earnings of $2.1 million, down slightly from the same period a year ago. “Although this was down 1.7 percent from the same period in 2011, we are pleased with the results,” said Katahdin Bankshares President and CEO Jon J. Prescott in a ...
IDEXX reaches out to pet owners with new Web-based products
WESTBROOK, Maine — Westbrook-based IDEXX Laboratories this week launched two products that represent a few firsts for the growing veterinary biotech firm. For the first time, the two products target pet owners as intended users, rather than just veterinarians who use IDEXX’s diagnostics product. And, noted company Chairman and CEO ...
WICKI BIZ (blog)
Hearst, TWC reach agreement — WMTW to return to cable
on July 19, 2012, at 10:37 p.m.
It looks like WMTW will be back on Time Warner Cable. TWC spokesman Andrew Russell put out a statement at 9:15 p.m. Thursday, saying the company and Hearst Television had reached a “long term agreement,” and customers could expect the signals to be back on shortly. As of 10:30 p.m., ...
The First Bancorp’s profits up despite ‘sluggish’ economy
Damariscotta-based The First Bancorp said Thursday that it saw second quarter profits up $3.3 million, or 4.1 percent, over the same period a year ago. Profits were down slightly, however, for the first six months of 2012 — hitting $6.2 million, down $100,000, or 1.6 percent. Despite what company President ...
Profits plunge at Fairchild Semiconductor
Fairchild Semiconductor saw profits plummet in the second quarter, hitting $11.9 million, down from $44.9 million a year ago — a 73 percent drop. “We reported solid sequential sales growth in the second quarter despite a challenging macroeconomic environment,” said Mark Thompson, Fairchild’s president and CEO, in a Thursday release. ...
Maine New Balance workers join Susan Collins, Mike Michaud to argue for tariffs in DC
Shoemakers from Maine joined members of the state’s congressional delegation Wednesday on Capitol Hill to argue against dropping tariffs through a proposed trade agreement, charging that eliminating existing tariffs would hurt American manufacturers. Negotiations continue regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade agreement that includes Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New ...
Meatball products sold at Hannaford recalled due to possible Listeria contamination
Scarborough-based Hannaford Supermarkets on Tuesday warned consumers that a supplier to the grocer has issued a recall on three products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. New Jersey-based Buona Vita Inc. has recalled three meatball products, Hannaford said, all available through the grocer’s deli department. The products are Homestyle ...
POLL QUESTION
Environmentalists see ulterior motive behind east-west highway; Vigue denies claims
PORTLAND, Maine — Two environmental groups blasted Cianbro Corp.’s east-west highway proposal on Monday, charging that the likely route would affect conservation sites and hurt the state’s economy by damaging its “brand” as a wild and natural place — allegations the project’s chief sponsor vehemently denied. Jym St. Pierre, Maine ...
Portland startup tries to help businesses find footing in a shifting retail landscape
PORTLAND, Maine — Just this week, Best Buy said it would lay off 2,400 employees as it struggled to compete with online retailing. That follows the bankruptcy and eventual liquidation of large retail chain Borders, whose demise also was blamed largely on pressures from online enterprises. Those companies aren’t alone; ...
WICKI BIZ (blog)
Maine up in CNBC’s ‘Top States for Business’ listing
on July 12, 2012, at 3:13 p.m.
Maine has made a small jump in CNBC.com’s annual ranking of the Top States for Business, hitting 35 this year. Last year, the state ranked 40th. In 2010, it hit 39; 40 in 2009; 44 in 2008 and 42 in 2007. Just to be clear, the best states for business ...
Portland gift card innovator CashStar gets $5M in new financing
PORTLAND, Maine — EGift card innovator CashStar on Wednesday announced that it has attracted a new round of funding, adding $5 million to the $28 million in VC and private equity financing it had already raised. The company was founded in 2008 and now has 80 employees, the majority in ...
WICKI BIZ (blog)
Hearst, Time Warner disagreement leads to WMTW blackout
on July 10, 2012, at 8:03 a.m.
An impasse in negotiations between Hearst Television and Time Warner Cable has led to the blacking out of Portland-based WMTW’s channel on the cable carrier. WMTW normally shows up on channel 8 in the greater Portland area and other parts of the state. Tuesday morning, it showed only a ...
POLL QUESTION
Flexible workplaces help employees find balance between family, job
A short day at Jasleen Leach’s old job was from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a few hours in Washington, D.C.-area traffic to travel less than 50 miles, a quick dinner and short time with her two young children, then more work at home on her laptop. A ...
Maine lobstermen reeling from low prices, seeking cooperation from dealers
Lobstermen up and down the coast are staying on-shore, effectively grounded by prices so low it has become uneconomical to haul traps. “Personally, I haven’t gone out for a couple of days. I don’t like the price — I don’t want to give them away,” said Richard Alley, a lobsterman ...
Maine sees quicker turnaround on land-use permits
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has released average turnaround times for land-use permits showing improvement from 2010 to 2011 — a major goal of the administration in its attempts to make the state more business-friendly. Professionals who work on development projects around the state say they have seen a ...
Man accused of killing Glenburn teen denied bail, has received death threats, attorney says
Kyle Dube arrest, murder charge surprising to some who know him
Man linked to Boston bombing suspect killed by FBI in Florida
Nichole Cable’s friends, family attend accused killer’s emotionally charged court appearance
Guest Post: “I’m about ready to name my daughter Revolution.”
How to humble a wing nut
Help Maine charter schools succeed before adding more
Bucksport’s Wood enjoying the professional cage in MMA bouts
Tommy Lawrence pitches UMaine baseball to victory in first America East tournament game
Garcia sorry after ‘stupid’ Woods fried chicken jibe
Live updates: UMaine baseball vs. Stony Brook at America East Championship
Messalonskee’s Dexter, South Portland’s Richards key first-year contributors for USM baseball team
Bangor veteran of World War II exemplifies the way life should be
It’s hard to keep secrets from a friend who is clairvoyant
Federal agencies eye return to restored historic Custom House in Portland