a salute to maine small business
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Recognizing the hard work and determination of Maine's small business owners and employees.TRANSCRIPT
2 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMIISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 3
TD Bank, N.A. | 500 free transaction items is associated with TD Business Convenience Checking Plus. Each additional item is $0.50 each. | Combine business checking and personal checking account balances to meet the minimum daily balance requirement. | A “Business Day” is a non-federal holiday weekday. The end of a Business Day varies by Store, but it is no earlier than 8pm EST. | Deposits may not be available next business day. I Please refer to Business Deposit Account Agreement for complete details. Other terms and conditions may apply.
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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 2014 is published by the Bangor Daily [email protected] 207.990.8105
We believe in small business and the owners who put passion and priority into crafting their dream. We applaud the many men, women, minorities, and veterans in our region who work to make their businesses and our communities better each and every day.
At Katahdin Trust you’ll find banking professionals ready and willing to help you achieve success; whether you’re just starting out or ready to expand.
Contact Katahdin Trust and discover Community Banking at its Best!
SBA Preferred Lender
To find one of our 19 locations:
www.KatahdinTrust.com1-800-221-2542
Proud To Support The Dream
Also Awarded this Year— Josh Davis and Bruno Tropeano, owners of The Gelato
Fiasco, were named Young Entrepreneurs of the Year. Assigned to Dale McGarrigle
— Cyndi Price, owner of Loo-Hoo LLC, was named Home-Based Business Champion. Assigned to Debra Bell
— Deblois Electric was named Jeffrey Butland Family Owned Small Business of the Year. Assigned to Sheila Grant
— G-Force Laser Tag, owned by Brian and Kimberly Plavnick, received the Maine Micro-Enterprise Award. Assigned to Sheila Grant
— Peter McVety, owner of Mcvety’s Hearth and Home, received the Veteran Small Business Owner of the Year Award. Assigned to Wanda Curtis
— Amy Bouchard, owner of Isamax Snacks Inc., received Woman Small Business Owner of the Year Award.
Assigned to Wanda Curtis
— Terry Trickey, Bangor Savings Bank, will receive the Financial Services Champion Award. Assigned to Sheila Grant
Maine award winners will be celebrated at the Hilton Garden Inn in Portland on June 17.
Coffee By Design We congratulate the owners of Coffee By Design, Mary Allen Lindemann and Alan Spear – named 2014 Small Business Persons of the Year for Maine by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Androscoggin Bank partnered with Granite State Development Corporation’s SBA 504 Loan Program to �nance Coffee ByDesign’s new retail andmanufacturing facility located at 1Diamond Street, Portland,Maine. Androscoggin Bank andGranite State Development Corporation, leading the way with SBA 504 lending.
Paul Collins, Lead Commercial Lender for Androscoggin–Southern Maine • 207.518.6310 • [email protected] • androscogginbank.com
Jim Maxwell, 504 State Director–Granite State Development Corporation • 207.646.5988 • jmaxwell@maine�nancial.com • granitestatedev.com
Androscoggin Bank – Maine’s #1 Bank in volume and dollars for SBA 504 Lending YTD
Congratulations
4 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMIISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 5
From your friends at
©2014 Machias Savings Bank. Member FDIC.
Congratulations!• 2014 •
Small Business Administration Award Winners
Your diligent work and industry leadership is appreciated in the community. Thank you for all you do.
When Amy Bouchard started a whoopie
pie business out of her Gardiner home 20
years ago, she never dreamed she’d become a
nationally-recognized celebrity.
In recent years, Bouchard has appeared
on the Oprah Winfrey show, the Boston
Phantom’s Gourmet Show, and Maine’s “207”
news magazine show. And now the president
and founder of Isamax Snacks Inc. is selling
Wicked Whoopie Pies on the Home Shopping
Network.
“I started my business from my home
20 years ago as a stay-at-home mom with
no business experience, just a passion for
baking,” she said. “I created whoopie pie
flavors that were not available in the market
20 years ago ... like strawberry, lemon, orange,
chocolate chip, coconut, raspberry, to name a
few, with a goal to make as many people happy
with my whoopie pies as possible.”
Bouchard explained that she calls her
products “Wicked Whoopie Pies” because all
of her friends described her whoopie pies as
“wicked.”
“In Maine, when something’s good, we call
it ‘good.’ When something’s great, we call it
‘wicked.’”
She named her business “Isamax” after her
two children, Isabella and Maxx.
Bouchard describes the slow start of her
now mushrooming business on her website
wickedwhoopiepies.com.
“At the sluggish pace of one dozen whoopie
pies per hour, initial production was slow
going. In one week alone, I burned out the
motors of four mixers. I had no business
experience, but I was determined. My goal
was-and still is-to share my Wicked Whoopies
with everyone in America.”
Bouchard goes on to explain how she
marketed her business which eventually
began to grow.
“Four times a week, with baby Isabella
under my arm and a basket of Whoopies in the
other, I set off to make deliveries. Customers
knew my schedule and often met me at the
door, eagerly awaiting a freshly baked Wicked
Whoopie Pie. Watching people respond to the
first bite is awesome. Making people smile is
still the most rewarding aspect of the business.
I like to say there are at least 10 smiles in
each Wicked Whoopie Pie. Within a couple of
years, stacks of baking sheets were as tall as
my 10-year-old son, Maxx. Tables and ovens
lined all sides of the kitchen. Our dining room
had become shipping and receiving central,
jammed with boxes, bags, and packing slips.
Our den housed sacks of flour, sugar and
cocoa. It was a whoopie explosion! I decided it
was time to move out of the home and into a
commercial bakery.”
Today, Bouchard’s involved in wholesale,
Internet, and retail business selling her
Wicked Whoopie Pies at three Maine locations
— a commercial bakery located in Gardiner,
and two retail bake shops located on Maine
Street in Farmingdale and Main Street in
Freeport.
Her husband David left his fulltime job to
oversee the customer service and shipping
departments at Isamax. Their son Maxx works
in the production department, while Isabella
helps out in the retail stores where they sell 20
different varieties of Wicked Whoopie Pies.
They sell, among others, classic, peanut
butter, chocolate chip, maple, pumpkin, red
velvet, lemon, strawberry, chocolate lovers,
orange, vanilla bean, and coconut.
Bouchard is this year’s recipient of the
Woman Business Owner of the Year award.
She was nominated for the award by Lorraine
Boston.
“She’s been in business 20 years. She’s
a successful business woman, she’s grown
her business, she’s increased the number
of her employees, and she’s done a good job
marketing a Maine product,” Boston said.
“My first SBA loan allowed me to expand
…To be recognized by the SBA as a female-
owned company means so much to me
considering the odds were against me,”
Bouchard said. “I was 26 years old when I
started this business, uneducated, and a stay-
at-home mom with no experience in business.
I am so proud to work with hard working
employees. They are the reason this business
is growing.”
Camden entrepreneur Cyndi Prince is
helping save the world, one dryer at a time.
And the Maine Small Business
Administration has taken notice. It will
present her with the 2014 Maine SBA Home-
based Business Champion Award at the
annual dinner on June 17 in Portland.
Prince’s company, LooHoo Wool Dryer
Balls, was born as she prepared for the birth
of her son, Graham. She wanted a healthy
home for her son that was free of non-toxic
products and that would support their
decision to use cloth diapers.
According to Prince, dryer sheets contain
harmful chemicals and actually make clothes
less absorbent – including cloth diapers. That
wouldn’t do for the soon-to-be mom.
“I began looking for alternatives to dryer
sheets, especially since I didn’t want ‘crunchy
clothes’,” she said.
That eco-friendly, softening alternative
turned out to be made from wool. She found
wool dryer balls online and decided to order
some. And that’s when she fell in love with
them.
Prince said that the wool dryer balls are
not only all natural and sustainable, but
actually reduce dry time and soften clothes
without the use of chemicals and fragrances.
Likewise, compared with rubber or plastic
dryer balls, which Prince said are loud and
leak gasses and chemicals into the dryer over
time, wool balls are quiet and biodegradable.
The only problem with the wool dryer balls
she purchased was that they didn’t last long
before starting to unravel. She believed there
had to be a better way so she put her crafty
mind to work and tried making them herself.
It took some time to find the right method and
once she had, a product was born.
LooHoo’s quirky name comes from Prince’s
own childhood nickname: Cindy LooHoo
based on the Dr. Seuss character from “The
Grinch That Stole Christmas.” Suggested by
her sister, LooHoo was also fun to say, Prince
noted. “How can it not be with all those ‘o’s?”
Prince is an entrepreneur at heart and
in 2009 she made a commitment to hone her
business acumen. That’s when she took the
New Ventures Business Entrepreneurship
Training through Women, Work and
Community’s Rockland office. New Ventures
walks its participants through creating a
business plan, looking at all the components
of business and preparing them for the
challenges ahead. Her instructor was Gigi
Guyton.
But LooHoo wasn’t the business she went
through New Ventures with: At least not
initially. However, the training prepared
her for entering the market with her LooHoo
products and set her up for success.
“I have so much respect for Gigi,” Prince
said. “Since the course, we’ve stayed in
contact as I moved forward. We’d email once
or twice a month and she’d invite me to
things that were coming up. She was always
there for me. You need to have a strong voice
as an entrepreneur.”
Guyton said the reason she nominated
Prince was a stellar example of what New
Ventures is all about.
“Cyndi took our New Ventures class
in 2009 with a completely different
business idea,” Guyton said.
“That idea didn’t launch, but
when Cyndi later realized she
might have a more marketable
product with the wool dryer
balls, she told me she picked
up the New Ventures notebook
and wrote a completely new
business plan.
“She’s a true entrepreneur in that she
took her thinking-outside-the-box idea and
went back to the business planning drawing
board to map out her success. She then used
all of her available resources in Maine to
follow her plan.”
Prince grew up on a farm in North
Buxton and understands the value in the
farming industry, one reason why each
LooHoo wool ball is made from U.S. wool
and manufactured by another home-based
business, Pieceworks Inc. in Montville.
Pieceworks produces roughly 700 balls each
week.
LooHoo dryer balls are found in over 200
retail stores throughout the United States and
Canada as well as online at loo-hoo.com
And since the balls are all natural, it’s only
natural that pets love the products. To keep
pets from taking off with the balls, LooHoo
has introduced a pet line as well.
“It’s been surreal [since learning I won this
award],” Prince said, “but it’s so wonderful
to be recognized. When you’re a home-based
business you’re usually flying under the
radar. I don’t have a big sign or a
shop. And it’s a huge honor. I’m so
happy that this business is being
recognized.”
Creator of Wicked Whoopie Pies Receives Woman Business Owner of the Year AwardBy Wanda Curtis
LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls owner Cyndi Prince named Maine’s Small Business Administration’s Home-Based Business Champion AwardBY DEBRA BELL Special to the BDN
Camden entrepreneur, Cyndi Prince
“she took her thinking-outside-the-box idea and went back to the business planning drawing board to map out her success”
6 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMIISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 7
The Small Business Association has named
McVety’s Home and Hearth owner Pete
McVety as the recipient of the 2014 Veteran
Owned Small Business of the Year Award.
The award is presented to a veteran of the
U.S. Armed Forces who serves as majority
owner of a small business operating for at
least three years.
“We congratulate Peter and Susan McVety
on this well deserved award, and we thank
them for their service to our country and
the local business community,” Jeanne A.
Hulit, president of the Community Banking
Division for Northeast Bank said. “Their
efforts to implement sound management
practices and develop a knowledgeable sales
force has resulted in consistent sales growth
and product expansion over the past three
years. This foundation has been invaluable
to their success and I have no doubt will help
them serve the home heating needs of area
customers for years to come. Northeast Bank
is proud to partner with the SBA to support
our veteran entrepreneurs and look to do
more to help our service men and women as
they grow their businesses here in Maine.”
McVety is a 20-year veteran of the U.S.
Navy. He also served at the Pentagon for
five years, where he was during the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks. After McVety retired
from the Navy, he thought he’d move back to
Maine but said he was unsure what he would
do for employment.
“I was the contracts administrator for a
large security firm in Northern Virginia,
and our goal was always to come back to
Maine once I was done with the Navy,” he
said. “That goal was delayed a couple of years
while our children finished high school. As
you may know, life in D.C. is quite a rat race,
so we decided to find a viable business and see
if we could make a go of it in Maine, before we
lost our sanity. Both of our children were out
of the house so there was no family tying us
to D.C. We had looked at several businesses
when we decided on the stove shop -- after
all, how can you go wrong with selling wood
stoves in Maine?”
McVety’s instincts were right. He and his
wife now own three shops located in Bangor,
Augusta and Yarmouth.
“We bought the locations of the Bangor and
Augusta store,” said McVety. “The two stores
were already in business as Finest Hearth.
That business had five stores at the time -- we
purchased two of the five locations ...We sell
wood, gas and pellet stoves, fireplaces, and
inserts. We sell all of the accessories that
accompany any of these products as well. We
sell a number of lines of patio furniture and
new to our stores is a Retractable Awning by
Solair. We are promoting and have on display
in Bangor and Yarmouth stores the Mini
Split by Fujitsu. We also have customized
aluminum dock systems by Aqua Lounge
made here in Maine. We have a couple of grill
lines as well, both gas and pellet ... Our best
selling product is the CB1200 pellet stove from
quadrafire.”
McVety said the SBA helped free up
the money that he and his wife needed to
purchase the Bangor location.
“Without the SBA loan backing, I doubt we
would have been able to open. It is difficult to
borrow money,” said McVety.
In regards to the award, McVety said he
appreciates the SBA’s recognition of all the
hard work he and his wife have put into the
business.
“This award is great,” he said.
McVety’s Home and Hearth Received Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year AwardBy Wanda Curtis
“How can you go wrong with selling wood stoves in Maine?”
PORTLAND — Whoever said going into business with your
spouse should be avoided never met Mary Allen Lindemann
and Alan Spear.
The founders of Coffee By Design were named Maine’s
Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business
Administration. The couple will be invited to Washington to vie
for a national award in mid-May.
“The company has a long track record of leading not
only locally but regionally as well,” said Seth Goodall, New
England administrator for the federal government’s small-
business advocacy arm. “These awards honor companies that
are exceptionally strong and contribute to New England’s
economy.”
Goodall said Coffee By Design’s steady growth and eagerness
to “promote their product not only through sales but word of
mouth” made the company rise to the top.
Celebrating 20 years in business this July, the Portland
roasters have been on an updraft of late. They purchased a
45,000-square-foot warehouse in East Bayside and opened a
swank new cafe/roastery and coffee lab last month. Spear
travels the world to meet with coffee farmers, and the
company’s wholesale clients from Fort Fairfield to Chicago
continues to expand.
Nominations are judged on criteria such as staying power,
employee growth and increase in sales and innovation.
Matthew Qualey of Qualey Granite & Quartz in Veazie nabbed
the state’s top award last year.
“For those of us in the food service industry in the state of
Maine, it is nice on a statewide level to have what we do be
recognized and valued,” said Lindemann. “We are thrilled.”
The specialty coffee company, with 55 employees and five
cafes, has a long history of supporting local arts and nonprofit
groups. A dollar for each pound of their Rebel Blend, for
example, is funneled to community arts funding. The couple co-
founded Portland Buy Local and First Friday Artwalk.
Paul Collins, vice president of Androscoggin Bank,
nominated them.
“Once you hear their backstory, which is success through
work and determination, it’s a story that a lot of small
businesses aspire to,” said Collins, who gave Coffee By Design
a loan to purchase its new headquarters. “When I was asked to
nominate someone, I thought of them first.”
SBA names Coffee by Design Maine’s Small Business Person of the Year Award
8 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014
“ Once you hear their backstory, which is success through work and determination, it’s a story that a lot of small businesses aspire to”
A winning missionCoffee By Design aims to carry out its mission of educating
consumers about specialty coffee; providing superior quality coffee
beans, beverages, and food products; and fulfilling its commitment to
environmental and economic sustainability by always keeping with
the core values that set their company apart:
1. We are accountable for all our words, actions, and deeds. 2. We are passionate about coffee and excited to share our knowledge with our customers. 3. We are committed to the local community and the arts. 4. We strive to be good citizens and do our part to protect the environment. 5. We expect to have fun. 6. We value and respect our co-workers, our customers, our suppliers, and our community. 7. Communication: We will maintain open and honest communication and feedback and respect all points of view.
8. Representing the Company: We represent CBD well, acting as ambassadors casting the Company in a positive light.
9. Leading Others: We lead by example, exemplifying the values set forth in our mission statement.
10. Commitment to Excellence: We will handle all tasks with a high degree of professionalism, ensuring excellence in all our work and relationships.
11. Decision making: We value consensual and participatory decision making. When necessary, leadership may make decisions using their best judgment without input from staff members.
10 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMIISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 11
www.bangor.com 1.877.BANGOR1
Bangor Savings Bank is proud to have earned the SBA’s recognition as Maine’s top lender to small businesses three years in a row.
We’re committed to going the extra mile so you don’t have to.
Ask about our small business loans and other solutions that can help your business grow.
Member FDIC
“They come to your business. They talk to you.
They want you to succeed.”
Kurt & Kathy Cressey Owners, Pack Baskets of Maine
Terry Trickey, a senior
business banking officer
with Bangor Savings Bank in
Portland, is being recognized
as the Small Business
Administration’s Financial
Services Champion.
“I work to be an
advocate for business owners,”
Trickey said. “That includes
spending time with them
to learn about the business, as well as their plans, both
immediate and in the future.”
Trickey noted that Bangor Savings Bank has been
recognized as the top SBA lender in Maine for the past three
years, during which time the bank approved more than
$30 million in SBA guaranteed loans. Additionally, Bangor
Savings is one of only 200 banks nationwide participating in
the SBA Veteran’s Pledge Initiative, which is committed to
increasing the level of financing to military veteran-owned
businesses by five percent over a five-year period. Bangor
Savings was selected for this special program based on the
bank’s track record for lending to veterans.
“Bangor Savings Bank is a Preferred Lender
Program (PLP) bank, which allows the highest level of
autonomy that the SBA affords to lenders,” Trickey explained.
This designation means that Bangor Savings can make final
credit decisions on behalf of the SBA, closing, and most
servicing and liquidation authority. While the SBA continues
to make the final eligibility decisions, Bangor Savings’
PLP status allows them to streamline and expedite the loan
approval process, often times by weeks.
“SBA has recognized the expertise of the bank and its
employees based on their demonstrated proficiency in
processing and servicing SBA loans,” she said.
“As Maine’s largest independent bank, we
understand the importance of supporting Maine businesses
and recognize that small business is an extremely powerful
driver of Maine’s economy,” Trickey said.
“I am flattered and honored to receive this award,”
she continued. “I am lucky enough to have a job that allows me
to learn about all of the wonderful things that business owners
in Maine are doing and I consider it a privilege to be able to
assist in some way to help them be successful. I would not be
in a position to have been selected without the great support
of the bank and the people within the organization. Bangor
Savings has always had a strong commitment to offer guaranty
programs such as SBA, and that allows me to provide creative
options to businesses.”
Bangor Savings Bank, with more than $3 billion
in assets, offers retail banking and investment management
services to Maine consumers as well as comprehensive
commercial, corporate, payroll administration, merchant
services, insurance, and small business banking services to
Maine businesses. Together the bank and its foundation invest
more than $1 million per year into the community in the form
of nonprofit sponsorships, grants and partnership initiatives.
For more information, call
(877) 226-4671, visit bangor.com, or stop by any of the 57
Bangor Savings Bank branches statewide.
Terry Trickey wins the Small Business Administration’s Financial Services Champion AwardBY SHEILA GRANT Special to the BDN
DeBlois Electric Inc. in Lewiston is the
recipient of this year’s SBA Jeffrey Butland
Award, which honors a family-owned and
operated business that has been passed on
from one generation to the next.
DeBlois Electric was founded in 1967
by Wilfrid DeBlois. While no longer the
residential contractor business of the early
days, the company remains true to its original
mission to build lasting relationships,
according to Mitch DeBlois, co-owner and
president of the company. Wilfrid DeBlois
retains his ownership position as chairman of
the board, and his wife, Gaetane, continues to
serve as treasurer.
The couple has passed their work
ethic on to their sons. Mitch joined the family
business as an electrical project and design
engineer in 1988, and is a master electrician
in Maine and New Hampshire. Raymond
DeBlois, co-owner and chief financial officer,
joined DeBlois Electric in 1993 after receiving
his degree in business management.
“As the CFO, Ray works with the
project team on cost accountability and
cost containment for the benefit of both our
company and our customers,” said Mitch
DeBlois, who works closely with project
owners, general contractors, architects and
construction managers to bring projects to
a “satisfactory conclusion through closely
coordinated and managed design/build
applications.”
“DeBlois Electric and Lighting
Concepts have remained devoted to success
through an extremely challenging economic
environment over the last few years, and we
are poised for future success,” Mitch DeBlois
said. “Rather than sit back and allow the
poor economy to drive our future, we have
proactively managed our resources and
developed new strategies. With Androscoggin
Bank as our new banking partner, we
are confident we will have a secure and
prosperous future.”
The company’s owners and
employees are proud to receive the Jeffrey
Butland Award, and take it as a sign that
family business in Maine is strong and
thriving, he said.
“The SBA really stepped up to support us
as a small business. They recognized our
challenges, especially in this ever-changing
banking environment. The SBA enabled us to
refinance with a local banking partner, which
is a perfect match for our business.”
With a full-time electrical design
engineer on staff, the compnay specializes in
design and build services, as well as negotiated
and competitively bid plan and specification
projects.
“Our resume includes electrical projects
for hospitals, medical offices, commercial
venues, retail/box stores, manufacturing,
educational facilities, and residential/multi-
unit residential projects,” he said.
The company provides services
statewide. Twenty years ago, DeBlois Electric
expanded by opening a retail store, Lighting
Concepts.
“We made the decision to diversify into
retail to offer our residential customers a local
resource for home lighting,” DeBlois said.
“We work diligently to cross-promote both
companies, and many employees share skill
sets between the businesses.”
The mission of both companies is to
build lasting relationships, he said.
“We are proud to say that we have grown
the company from Willie’s two-man operation
into two companies that employ 42 people.
Half of our employees have been with our
companies for more than 10 years,” said
DeBlois.
For more information, call
783-6512 or visit debloiselectric.com.
From One Generation to the Next, DeBlois Electric Inc.BY SHEILA GRANT Special to the BDN
“Rather than sit back and allow the poor economy to drive our future, we have proactively managed our resources and developed new strategies.”
12 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMIISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 13
Gelato would seem to be an unusual product
to be at the heart of a Maine business success
story.
Yet the passion of Joshua Davis and Bruno
Tropeano for this tasty Italian dessert has led
to the two founders of Gelato Fiasco being
named Young Entrepreneurs of the Year by
the Small Business Association not just for the
state, but for Region 1 (New England), as well.
“Josh Davis and Bruno Tropeano have
worked really hard to make their business
successful, and it shows,” Seth Goodall, SBA
regional administrator for New England,
said of the pair. “They are dedicated and
creative and sell very tasty and high quality
products. As young entrepreneurs, Josh and
Bruno also serve as terrific role models and
an inspiration for others to start their own
business in Maine.”
Coincidentally, word of the award came
on the same day that the company finished
paying off its SBA-backed loan.
“I saw the SBA on caller ID and I figured it
had to do with the loan payoff,” Davis recalled.
“Little did I know, it was to announce
we had won the award.”
The award serves as affirmation.
“It’s a reassuring sign that we’re
doing the right type of things,”
Tropeano said. “There aren’t many
points along the way of bootstrapping a
gelato company based in Maine that the
route is clearly identified, but somehow
the award gives us something to mark
the path so-far with. We’re humbled to
win.”
The Gelato Fiasco
website offers this
description of the
company’s treat:
“Gelato is a style
of ice cream that
dates back several
centuries to Italy.
Since the primary
ingredient in good
gelato is milk, not
cream, it has a softer
dairy profile that should allow flavors to come
through more strongly than a traditional ice
cream.”
How did the two friends, who first met
in 2001 as roommates at Bentley College in
Waltham, Massachusetts develop an affinity
for gelato?
It was almost hereditary for Tropeano, a
Brookfield, Connecticut native. His parents
emigrated from Italy, and the family took
multiple trips to the old country, where he
developed a taste for gelato. Davis, a Belgrade
native, got hooked on the Italian ice cream
while in college.
After graduating from Bentley in 2005, the
two began an informal quest to find the best
gelato.
“Over the years we made it a point to try
gelato in U.S. cities -- places where you’d
expect to find the best, like New York and
Boston -- and we both agreed that no one was
doing gelato justice,” Davis recalled. “We had
to do something.”
The pair, who had run a small property
management company in college, had been
looking for another business opportunity. So
why not make this passion their livelihood?
“Josh and Bruno sensed both a
responsibility and an opportunity and set
off to rediscover the lost art. Imagining a
long-forgotten Red Spoon Society of superior
gelato artisans, they learned the techniques
and practices of the old masters of gelato.
They used those techniques as a foundation
for creating an even better gelato experience:
make lots of creative flavors for discerning
guests, serve them in a way that invites
discovery and delight, and never compromise
on quality,” according to the official company
history
The key to make artisanal gelato: use of
local milk from Houlton Farms Dairy and
Maine’s Own Organic (MOO) Milk, adding
only the best ingredients, such as pistachios
from Sicily, vanilla beans from Madagascar
and wild blueberries from the Maine coast,
and making a fresh product daily.
CEO Davis focuses on customer service
and management, while president Tropeano
is the gelato maker, developing new flavors,
managing ingredient supply sources, and
training staff members to become expert
gelateri.
Their flagship store opened Aug. 7, 2007,
at 74 Maine St. in Brunswick. They chose the
name “as a hedge against trend-pursuers,
treasure hunters, and impostors, for only a
true food lover, guided by his or her own sense
of adventure, would dare enter a store with
that name,” their website explains.
Although they had no experience in the
restaurant industry, as consumers, they knew
what they liked, which informed the core
values of Gelato Fiasco.
“The little things became so obviously
what makes the difference in us having a
great experience at a place versus just having
an okay time,” Davis said. “So, with that in
mind, we decided that our core value would
be running the business from a customer’s
point of view, i.e., later hours, open every day,
giving samples for free, etc.”
These decisions came organically rather
than deliberately.
“We didn’t think too much about those
things specifically -- we just implemented
them because they were things we would
want as customers,” Tropeano added.
The second store, Gelato Fiasco Old Port,
opened in 2012 at 425 Fore St. in Portland.
The two locations serve about 30 flavors
of gelato and sorbetto (a water-based
dessert), chosen from a roster of around
1,500 flavors, made fresh
each day, along with a
variety of hot drinks.
The company also
supplies hand-packed
pints to approximately
500 grocery stores across
the nation.
“People all over the
country really recognize
Maine products for
their quality and we’re
really proud to now
be sold in over 32 states, largely because
of the association people make between
wholesomeness, Maine and Gelato Fiasco,”
Davis said. “It’s really amazing to be able to
travel across the country and find a pint of
gelato at a supermarket. It makes me smile
when I look at the back and it says ‘Hand
packed in Brunswick, Maine.’ ”
Gelato Fiasco also provides catering for
weddings and parties.
The company gives back through its
Scooping for Community Program, through
which Gelato Fiasco donates 100 percent of
sales from a non-profit’s supporters on the
organization’s designated day.
Gelato Fiasco employs more than 50 people
at its two stores and its Flavor Foundry
manufacturing facility and offices in
Brunswick.
Much of the credit for the company’s
success should go to its employees, Tropeano
said.
“Our employees are top-notch. These are
folks with big hearts who work hard and
seriously care about doing a good job.”
As for the company’s future, it’s always
evolving.
“We have a lot of things to figure out, but
we are very excited about the opportunity in
front of us and feel good about the team behind
us, working so hard to make it all happen,”
Tropeano said.
Two Founders of Gelato Fiasco are named Young Entrepreneurs of the Year By Dale McGarrigle Special to the BDN “Over the years we made it a point to try gelato in U.S. cities -- places where you’d expect to find
the best, like New York and Boston -- and we both agreed that no one was doing gelato justice”
14 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMIISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 15
DeBlois Electric
Androscoggin Bank congratulates Wilfrid, Geatane, Mitch and Ray DeBlois, awarded Maine’s 2014 Jeffrey Butland Family Business of the Year by the U.S Small Business Administration. As one of Northern New England’s premier electrical contractors, DeBlois Electric has been building relationships since 1967. Androscoggin Bank is proud to partner with, and support businesses like DeBlois.
For information on how we can partner with your business efforts, contactDave Eldridge, SVP & Commercial Lending Manager • 207.376.3626 • [email protected]
Congratulations! Winner of Maine SBA’s Jeffrey Butland Small Family Business of the Year
Androscoggin Bank—#1 in volume and dollars for SBA 504 Lending YTD in 2014 • androscogginbank.com
Like many small business owners, Brian
and Kimberly Plavnick faced numerous
challenges while struggling to launch
and grow a new business. Perhaps what
distinguishes the duo and their seven
employees is the innovative ways in which
those challenges were overcome, and the
company’s commitment to giving back to the
community via numerous in-kind donations
and fundraising events.
In 2006, the Plavnicks began
exploring the possibility of opening a youth-
based business.
“We didn’t have much of a nest egg,”
said Brian Plavnick. The couple dreamed of
opening a fixed-location facility that offered
youths a variety of activities to do under one
roof.
“I worked on a business plan and shopped
that around, but it was very difficult to get a
loan at that point, especially for a youth-based
business, from a bank or any other source,”
Brian Plavnick explained.
Eventually, one bank official suggested that
the couple start off with a smaller idea.
“I took his advice after trying hard to
do the thing that I wanted,” Plavnick said. But
financing remained elusive, so the business
plan was scaled back even further. The couple
decided to focus solely on laser tag. When
financing still could not be secured to buy the
equipment necessary for startup, Plavnick,
who has a technology background, decided to
develop his own product.
By the summer of 2008, the company
had built 16 taggers and was ready to offer
mobile events, rather than owning a fixed-
location business.
“The first year we definitely lost money,”
he said. “The second year we started making
a little bit, and each year after that we grew.
We put all of the money back into the business.
About two years ago, we were doing really
well, so we decided to go back again and try to
get additional funding to get more equipment.”
Plavnick returned to the Northern
Maine Development Commission, one of the
entities which had reviewed his original
business plan.
“They really liked what I was doing and
believed in it,” Plavnick said. An arrangement
with the NMDC, using SBA funds, provided
significant financial support, allowed the
company to consolidate financing, and
reduced its monthly payments.
The company has been able to
add “inflatable city” to its laser tag course
landscaping options. The number of taggers
has increased to 80, with another 40 to be
finished by summer. A six-person wrecking
ball and a 150-foot-long “military style”
obstacle course, a gaga ball, a bounce/
jousting arena, and sumo wrestling have
been added to the company’s portable venue
options. Customers can also opt to have fog,
a light show, and even food. The most recent
expansion of services is the addition of music
by DJ NoKlipz.
Both the financial support and the
award have deep meaning for Plavnick.
“I have worked for myself since I was a little
kid, and I’ve always had to do everything with
a shoestring, or even a broken string, budget,”
he said. “I’ve never had anybody believe in me
before; never had a business loan before; and
never been recognized for the hard work that
I do.”
G-Force Laser Tag travels
throughout New England and beyond to
provide entertainment at a variety of events
-- from birthday parties to corporate events.
For more information, call 227-5562 or visit
g-forcelasertag.com.
G-Force Laser Tag, based in Caribou, is the SBA’s Microenterprise of the Year. BY SHEILA GRANT Special to the BDN
“I have worked for myself since I was a little kid, and I’ve always had to doeverything with a shoestring, or even a broken string, budget.”
Start, build, and grow your small business with us!
SBA LenderPreferred Lenders Program
Member FDIC BHBT.com • 1-888-853-7100
Rick L. Koch, SVPBusiness Services207‐373‐5101
Let us help your Maine business
Commercial loans ‐ Personal serviceLoans up to $10,000,000
Serviced Locally
16 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014
Smart Business Checking
The checks wouldhave to write themselves to make this accountany better.
Smart Business Checking is a low to no cost checking account* that comes with your own personal banker to get you started and provide you with ongoing support.
Call 207-839-4796 or visit your nearest branch to learn more.
gorhamsavingsbank.com* No transaction fees for up to 450 paid or deposited items per statement cycle (additional items $ .35 each).Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender
We are proud to support Maine’s business community.
Congratulations to the 2014 SBA Award Winners!
1-800-228-3734 www.FAMEmaine.com
Helping Maine Businesses Since 1983
Congratulations2014 SBA
Award Winners
Congratulations Peter McVetyof McVety’s Hearth and Home
Maine’s SBA 2014 Veteran Small Business Owner of the Year!
Northeast Bank is committed to helping Veterans like Peter start or grow their business through the SBA’s Veterans Advantage Program.
To learn more, visit northeastbank.com/smallbusiness
Contact one of our Small Business Loan Specialists today!
Tim Michalak1.800.284.5989 ext. [email protected]
Luke Takatsu1.800.284.5989 ext. [email protected]
Small Business Lender Luke Takatsu and Community Banking Division President Jeanne Hulit with Peter McVety.