Small Business Administration: A Salute to Maine's Small Businesses 2022 by Bangor Daily News

A SALUTE TO

MAINE’S SMALL BUSINESSES 2022 Maine Small Business Person of the Year

and the

PEOPLE

who helped them

STAY RESILIENT.

Tyler Frank

Garbage to Garden

“Our annual awards are an opportunity to recognize the amazing work being done by Maine’s small businesses, and Garbage to Garden truly stands out. Tyler has invested heavily in his community, his employees, and sustainability, and these investments have clearly paid off with success for his business.” — Diane Sturgeon, District Director for Maine U.S. Small Business Administration

FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022 | ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT • BANGOR DAILY NEWS • PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • SUN JOURNAL • MORNING SENTINEL • KENNEBEC JOURNAL • TIMES RECORD • JOURNAL TRIBUNE

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

MAINE SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR: TYLER FRANK, PRESIDENT  GARBAGE TO GARDEN ard Winner 2022 Aw

NOMINATED BY NANCY STROJNY, PORTLAND SCORE

SUSTAINABILITY HAS BECOME

A little over nine years since its inception,

recently increasing the contribution to

a much stronger focus for not only

Garbage to Garden has expanded far beyond

pay for 100% of health insurance for all

consumers, but businesses and

the original niche market it filled. With

full-time employees and a unique wellness

institutions in the past decade or

customers across Southern Maine and the

incentive program.

so. As people at all levels try to find

Boston metro area, ranging from people

In the time since receiving that award,

ways to build sustainable practices

living in apartments with no personal

the nature of the business drastically

into their lives, businesses like

access to composting, to large festivals

changed. Commercial clients were using

Garbage to Garden step in to make

and fairs, the adaptability of the business

the service less, but because people were

it a little easier. As most people are

has allowed Tyler to seek opportunities

staying home, more residential accounts

used to regular trash and recycling

wherever they arise. To accommodate all

were added. This pivot allowed Garbage

pick up, Tyler Frank saw a need for

of this growth and expansion, Garbage

to Garden to continue its growth, and as a

another option: regular pick up of compostable material. Starting out of his apartment, he sought out clients at local farmer’s markets, and delivered the compostable waste to his mother’s backyard in North Yarmouth. However, the number of people interested in the service quickly outpaced this

practice.

Through

this

process, Tyler worked with the Portland chapter of SCORE to plan for growth and ensure that his business was prepared.

result, new communities joined

THE BEST ATTRIBUTES OF A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR ARE BEING ADAPTABLE, CARING ABOUT THE MISSION, AND CARING ABOUT CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES. TYLER FRANK HAS SHOWN ALL OF THESE, WITH AN INNOVATIVE SERVICE, A WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE AS THE BUSINESS GREW, ...AND PROVIDING GOOD JOBS WITH BENEFITS.

From the initial space, Garbage

the coverage area. With supply shortages and the pandemic keeping so many at home, there has been a dramatic increase in gardening and growing food at home. This additional change has allowed Garbage to Garden a new revenue stream, as they add finished garden supplies to their product line and added further emphasis to the core concept behind the business: a closed loop system where composted waste nurtures the soil that grows our food.

to Garden moved into a 1,000 square foot

to Garden has also grown its employee

The best attributes of a successful

facility as the number of clients increased.

pool to 31. This is impressive in itself,

entrepreneur are being adaptable, caring

But within two years, the business had

but Tyler is committed to best practices

about the mission, and caring about

experienced so much growth that they had

and ensures that each of the employees is

customers and employees. Tyler Frank

to relocate again to an even larger building.

provided a $16.50 minimum hourly wage,

has shown all of these, with an innovative

Now serving not only residential customers,

full health, vision, and dental insurance,

service, a willingness to change as the

but schools, businesses, and municipalities,

401(k), and paid time off. Because of these

business grew and the pandemic hit, support

Garbage to Garden sought to branch out,

efforts, Tyler was awarded the SBA Maine

of community programs, and providing good

but do so in a way that made sense. Again,

Young Entrepreneur of the Year award

jobs with benefits. With all these strengths,

Portland SCORE and the SBA’s Scale Up

for 2022. Since then, Garbage to Garden

and the strong relationship he developed

program were able to provide the guidance

has continued to increase wages and

with SCORE, there is no doubt that Garbage

that Tyler needed to plan sustainable growth.

expand their benefits offerings, most

to Garden will continue to grow and thrive.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

A SALUTE TO

MAINE’S SMALL BUSINESSES

THIS PUBLICATION WAS PRODUCED BY Bangor Daily News

PUBLISHER Richard Warren

ADVERTISING SALES

Jeff Orcutt jorcutt@bangordailynews.com

SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR / DESIGNER Amy Allen

CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Coralie Cross

CREATIVE SERVICES

Callie Picard, Carolina Rave

ABOUT THE COVER

Tyler Frank, Owner of Garbage to Garden PHOTO: COURTESY SBA © 2022 Bangor Daily News. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without express written consent. Requests for permission to copy, reprint, or duplicate any content should be directed to advertising@bangordailynews.com

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

MAINE VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: STARS & STRIPES BREWING COMPANY  BRAD NADEAU, OWNER NOMINATED BY NANCY STROJNY, SCORE MAINE

ard Winner 2022 Aw community, Brad made this the focus of SBA guaranteed Express to small business ownership, especially in Stars & Stripes. He met with a SCORE loan, Stars & Stripes was able Maine, and for Brad Nadeau and his family, mentor to start putting together a formal to start up. it has proven to be a wonderful Stars & Stripes opportunity. His business, Stars held its soft BECAUSE OF HIS EXPERIENCE AS A & Stripes Brewing Company in opening and ribVETERAN AND HIS DESIRE TO BUILD Freeport, has grown and established bon cutting durA WELCOMING SPACE FOR OTHERS, itself since first opening with the ing National assistance of an SBA loan and Veteran Small WHILE CONTINUING TO SERVE HIS SCORE mentors in 2018. Business Week COMMUNITY, BRAD MADE THIS THE Brad is a Marine Corps veterin 2018, and set FOCUS OF STARS & STRIPES. an, and in 2003 deployed to Iraq as the tone for the part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. business going Because of his experience as a veteran plan, and approached Gorham Savings forward. As Brad continued and his desire to build a welcoming space Bank to secure the necessary financing to to expand his knowledge of for others, while continuing to serve his start the brewery. With the support of an brewing and his wife Nancy tackled marketing, the two made sure they lived up to the original vision of a supportive and welcoming environment. The brewery donates a percentage of its sales to support veteran organizations, and Brad makes sure to promote resources to support all veterans, including those whose wounds might not be visible. He volunteers his time to act as a point of contact, and hosts fundraisers at the brewery to support these organizations, continuing the service he began as a Marine in 1999. As 2020 began and the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on restaurants, bars, and breweries across the country, Stars & Stripes was suddenly faced with a crisis and needed to come up with creative solutions. Thanks to the skills he acquired over the course of his career, Brad was able to come up with creative solutions, and use connections to SBA resources to support his business. Stars & Stripes received both rounds of the Paycheck Protection Program from Gorham Savings SMALL BREWERIES ARE often a great entry

Bank to support its employees, and was also able to receive a Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant to support operations. Thanks to Brad and Nancy’s efforts to support others, their knowledge of the resources available to them, and their ability to come up with creative solutions, Stars & Stripes not only survived the past two years, but has thrived. Currently, plans are in place to open the brewery’s second location in Portland, expanding access to the largest market in the state and allowing the Nadeaus to scale up their mission to brew great beer and support veterans at the same time. Because of their hard work and success in this effort, Stars & Stripes Brewing is the 2022 SBA Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year for Maine.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

WOMAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: AMANDA O’BRIEN, OWNER  EIGHTEEN TWENTY WINES ard Winner 2022 Aw

NOMINATED BY SARAH GUERETTE, WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER

IF THERE ARE two things that people love, it’s locally grown quality foods, and good wine. Amanda O’Brien knew this, and after giving her friend’s home-brewed rhubarb wine a try, decided to make it a full fledged business. Since 2015, eighteen twenty wines has refined its recipes and built a reputation for making flavorful wines with Maine grown rhubarb, blueberries, strawberries, and even peaches. The business gradually grew, until eventually, in 2018 Amanda became the sole owner.

It was at this point that Amanda decided to reach out to the Women’s Business Center to develop a financial plan, secure financing for growth, and to rework the operations strategy of eighteen twenty wines. This planning and the advice of the WBC clearly paid off, as sales nearly doubled between 2018 and 2021, and Amanda started bringing on her first employees to help with the continued growth of the business. By the end of 2021, eighteen twenty wines had five employees, where previously it only employed the owners. This growth was achieved partly from the sustained effort Amanda put into the online marketing strategy, quadrupling her audience online and taking advantage of the great visuals her products gave her. Throughout the pandemic, Amanda continued to find ways to ensure the success of eighteen twenty wines. Online ordering was added through VinoShipper and Square, and more wholesale accounts were added, eventually reaching 60 stores across Maine. Eighteen twenty wines was able to keep up with demand thanks to the procurement strategy Amanda had built, sourcing over ten thousand pounds of ingredients from Maine farms in 2021, with a particular focus on rhubarb, a low intensity crop that’s perfect for small farmers. With the success of eighteen twenty wine, Amanda and her husband Alex have thought about how they can support their community and other local businesses. In the tasting room, eighteen twenty features products from other local businesses to raise their profiles, all the ingredients are sourced in Maine, and Amanda has helped run programs like Maine Center for Entrepreneurship’s Top Gun program, and the upcoming Advanced Marketing program at the WBC. In addition, Amanda helped establish Social Media Breakfast Maine, a monthly event that ran for 13 years to help small businesses work on their social media marketing strategies. By building a truly unique product, using local ingredients, and giving back to the community that supported her, Amanda O’Brien has exemplified the best of Maine’s small business owners. For her efforts, the SBA is honored to award eighteen twenty wines the 2022 WomanOwned Small Business Award for Maine.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

MAINE YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR: JAMES ZUHLKE JR., OWNER  ZUHLKE TREE SERVICE, LLC NOMINATED BY NICOLE MORGAN, BANGOR SAVINGS BANK

ard Winner 2022 Aw LIVING IN THE most heavily forested state, Mainers have a strong connection to trees and the forest economy. Many Mainers make their living working in these industries, and build businesses around the management of these resources. One such business is Zuhlke Tree Service in the small town of Greenbush. Started by James Zuhlke, the business serves customers across the state with hazards associated with rotting or fallen trees.

James had planned to work in the forest economy of Maine when he received his degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism from the University of Maine, along with a Business Administration

minor. After graduating, he also received credentials as an Arborist, specializing in particularly hazardous tree removal. It was at this point that James started his business in 2018. Starting small, and building the reputation necessary for success as a business owner in Maine’s small towns, James started to plan for growth. In the first couple years of his business, Zuhlke Tree Service saw significant growth in sales, more than doubling within the first two years. This growth opened up opportunities for the business, as the first employees were brought on, and new equipment was purchased. Previously, the de-

mand for services and the need for specialized equipment had meant that James either had to turn down jobs, or simply didn’t have the tools needed. With these investments in the business, he was able to ensure a more stable future for his business. After experiencing steady growth for years, 2020 threw a curveball at Zuhlke Tree Service. As with many other businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic caused massive disruption, and threatened the stability of the business. Through this process, James reached out to his lender at Bangor Savings Bank to understand his options. Thankfully, James was able

to secure a Paycheck Protection Program loan and keep his skilled staff on the payroll. Knowing that his employees would be taken care of, James was able to focus on successfully managing the business and planning to make it stronger despite the disruption. James made a major effort to improve his marketing and customer feedback, knowing the importance of reputation. This paid off, as revenue growth accelerated in 2021, nearly doubling from the previous year. In addition, James secured contracts from the Town of Orono and City of Old Town for tree care. Thanks to his success in business,

MAINE HOME-BASED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: ‘CAUSE DIGITAL MARKETING  JANE HARRELL, PRESIDENT ard Winner 2022 Aw AS EVERY PART of the economy faced major disruptions and businesses struggled to incorporate work from home strategies, ‘cause Digital Marketing was ahead of the curve. Since its founding, the marketing business had pursued a 100% work from home strategy for its employees and contractors. The founder, Jane Harrell, used this strategy to encourage sustainable growth

and

secure

engaged

and

committed workforce for her business.

While she had worked in the marketing departments of large businesses for years, leading teams and developing strategies, in 2016 Jane decided that she

would start working for herself and building her own business. With help from Peter Harriman at the Small Business Development Center, Jane used Peter’s expertise to build budgets, conduct market research, and ensure all the boxes were checked before she officially launched ‘cause Digital Marketing. With Peter’s insight, and Jane’s experience, ‘cause was set for success from the start. At first, Jane was the only employee of her business, as she deliberately chose to grow slowly and build based on quality work. While she had built up a backlog of clients, she also began bringing in con-

tractors to develop marketing plans for clients, and allowed the contractors to build experience prior to being hired on full-time. By 2020, Jane had 2 full time employees on board, and has plans to hire more in 2022. By having these employees work from home from the beginning, Jane has been able to ensure consistent quality of work while other businesses have had to adjust expectations during the pandemic. This approach paid off bigtime, as revenue goals were met ahead of schedule, and 2021 saw the company’s greatest growth, despite the continuing impact of the pandemic.

One of the side benefits of having a home-based approach to work and a flexible schedule is that Jane and her employees have time to be active in their communities and use their skills to benefit local organizations. For example, as a marketing specialist, Jane has used her expertise to help animal shelters build plans to increase their donor base and reach a wider audience with appeals, as well as working with local BIPOC organizations to share information about resources to help educators find stories from a diverse array of authors.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

James is able to contribute to his community and support projects that are important to him. In particular, James contributes to Old Town Little League, and the Guide Olympics. He is also in the beginning stages of a plan to help provide free or low cost firewood to low income residents, with a goal of starting in 2023. James connects his business with his passions, and as a result has found success in a competitive market despite being a relative newcomer. Because of his success and support of his community, James Zuhlke is the SBA’s 2022 Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Maine.

As the economy re-opens, and companies across the spectrum begin planning their return to office plans, Jane remains confident that ‘cause Digital Marketing can compete as a work from home business. She maintains a wait list of clients eager to work with her, and a list of contractors eager to join full time, thanks to the quality of the work ‘cause produces, and the flexibility its employees are allowed. In the new post-pandemic economy, there is no doubt that ‘cause Digital Marketing will continue to thrive and adapt to change.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

MICROENTERPRISE OF THE YEAR: WINDHORSE ARTS  ALISON THIBAULT, OWNER ard Winner 2022 Aw

NOMINATED BY LORRI BROWN, WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER

MAINE’S SMALLEST BUSINESSES often start as a way for individuals to pursue their passions, without necessarily thinking about entrepreneurship. This was the case for Alison Thibault. More than twenty years ago she started on the path to business ownership when she lost one of her favorite earrings. Not wanting to give up the set, she decided to learn how to work with fused glass and make a replacement on her own. The basis of WindHorse Arts was firmly established.

In the year 2000, Alison officially began her business. Working with hand cut glass, and working in different colors, she made

a sense of place the goal of each piece, with particular focus on reflecting the environment of Vinalhaven. While she started working from a home studio, after establishing herself and her business, she would eventually expand to a new workshop and storefront in downtown Vinalhaven. As a business built on the idea of place, and being located on one of Maine’s scenic islands, the pandemic and its resulting decline in tourism impacted WindHorse Arts more than some. It was at this point that Alison reached out to the Women’s Business Center to help her plan and build reli-

MINORITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: HOUSE OF LANGUAGES  DOLGORMAA LKHAGVAA HERSOM, PRESIDENT AND CEO ard Winner 2022 Aw THE

CLASSIC

STORY of

NOMINATED BY JOHN SCRIBER, CEI

coming to

America: get an education, work hard, build a future, and maybe start a business. Dolgormaa Hersom followed this track, while staying committed to supporting future arrivals to the country and expanding opportunities for others. She first came to the United States from Mongolia in 1996 when she attended the University of Maine at Farmington, obtaining a degree in Political Science. After graduating, Dolgormaa started working at Catholic Charities and the Greater Portland United Way,

managing

interpreter

services

and helping them formalize interpreter training programs.

After working to improve interpretation services in Maine for 14 years, Dolgormaa decided to start her own business. To aid her as she started the process of becoming a business owner, she reached out to CEI and the StartSmart program prior to starting House of Languages. With the guidance of CEI’s business advisers, Dolgormaa began providing translation and interpretation services across Southern Maine and has hired over 70 people to ensure these services are received by those who need them. As House of Languages has expanded in both revenue and in number of em-

ployees over the years, its profile has raised in the industry. This growth in profile is due in part to the high quality services provided to hospitals and healthcare providers, social services agencies, and various State of Maine agencies. The higher notoriety of the business is also because of its role in the community. Dolgormaa has worked with the Maine Judicial System to improve the court interpreter system, and one of her employees has taught a class at Portland High School on Interpreting as a Career that won a school outreach award from American Translators Association.

With a more diverse population in Maine coming from countries across the world, the need for new residents to navigate local programs and laws is only increasing. Luckily, we have people like Dolgormaa and her employees to ensure that when these new Mainers need help, they can effectively communicate and integrate into our communities. Without the dedication and passion of Dolgormaa, our state would certainly not be as well positioned to welcome our new neighbors from around the world, and that is why we are honored to award House of Languages the 2022 Minority Owned Small Business of the Year Award for Maine.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

ance for WindHorse Arts. With the help of the WBC, Alison was able to build an online presence and start to switch from an in-person storefront to a focus on online sales. The advice on marketing and business planning, WindHorse saw a 30% increase in online sales, and allowed Alison to exceed pre-pandemic levels of sales despite the continuing impact of Covid-19. Alison has used her position as a successful business owner to give back to her community with her skills. Hand crafted jewelry from WindHorse is often donated to local auctions for non-profits, and stu-

dents at local schools are offered internships so they can learn about glass and business, pursuing their own passions like Alison did. WindHorse is built around a sense of place and community, and with Alison’s support of the people and environment on Vinalhaven, she provides an excellent example of small business ownership on Maine’s islands. For all of her success and contributions to Vinalhaven’s thriving community, the SBA is honored to award Alison Thibault and WindHorse Arts the 2022 MicroEnterprise of the Year Award for Maine.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022

SMALL BUSINESS MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR: LIBERTY GRAPHICS, INC.  SAMUEL BARTLETT, GENERAL MANAGER NOMINATED BY CHRIS LINDER, COOPERATIVE FUND OF NEW ENGLAND

ard Winner 2022 Aw FOR OVER 40 YEARS, Central Maine has been home to Liberty Graphics, a small screen printing and design company. The founder, Tom Opper, and his partner Beverly Kocenko started the business in a small trailer, making small batches of unique t-shirts for local events. While the focus on local events and causes would continue, the business would become known statewide, start making larger orders, and become the source of iconic and recognizable designs.

One of the key factors in the success of Liberty Graphics was gaining the Common Ground Country Fair as a customer. Mainers from across the state can quickly recognize the stylized shirts, and the event

draws tens of thousands of attendees to Unity, making it one of the best ways for a small silk screening company to get their designs out. In addition to this large contract, Liberty Graphics was always looking for ways to break into new markets. Tom and Beverly established a small outlet store in the town of Liberty in the early 80’s, which quickly expanded to a larger store by the 90’s, and they added a second store in Portland’s Old Port by 2010. As these expansions took place, the business needed to bring in dozens of employees over the years. By the time of the Old Port expansion, Liberty Graphics employed 38 people, keeping production

local and continuing to focus on quality and sustainable products. However, there were challenges coming for every small business as the year 2020 approached. Cancelled events would mean fewer orders, and incredible hardship for a local producer, so the ownership team needed to get creative and figure out a path forward. Brad Swanson from the SBDC started meeting with Tom and Beverly about how to move forward and keep the business strong for years. First, Liberty Graphics received an SBA EIDL and both rounds of PPP loans to cope with the immediate impacts of the pandemic. Second, and most impactful

for the business, a new ownership structure was decided upon, Liberty Graphics would become employee-owned. The transition has worked well for Liberty Graphics, as the employee-owners made more of a focus on online sales, and managed to end 2021 with higher than expected revenues, despite the loss of large clients due to the pandemic. With this success, the business has been able to preserve good jobs in the Midcoast, support local scholarships, and maintaining its commitment to people and the environment. For these reasons, the SBA is pleased to award Liberty Graphics the 2022 Small Business Manufacturer Award for Maine.

MAINE FINANCIAL SERVICES CHAMPION OF THE YEAR: NORTHERN MAINE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION  ROBERT CLARK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ard Winner 2022 Aw

NOMINATED BY PAUL TOWLE, AROOSTOOK PARTNERSHIP

IF THE PAST two years of economic uncertainty have made one thing clear, it is that having a small lender available can make all the difference for a community, especially in a rural area. Thankfully, Maine is home to such an institution, Northern Maine Development Commission. NMDC was established as an economic development organization in 1967 and has been helmed by Robert Clark since 1990, with the majority of NMDC’s efforts serving Aroostook county and the northern communities in Maine’s other counties.

NMDC has built close relationships with other institutions and organizations over the years in an effort to serve their community. In particular, this has meant

acting as a host site for the Small Business Development Center in Aroostook county, as well as a host for the Procurement Technical Assistance Center. The institution has also been making SBA microloans to Maine’s smallest businesses for years, ensuring that rural entrepreneurs have the resources they need to start and grow, and support cornerstones of their community. The efforts of NMDC’s staff were drastically scaled up in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic started to take its toll on Maine’s economy and small businesses, especially those in Northern Maine that depended on access to Canadian customers who could no longer cross the border.

With various programs being implemented by the Federal and State governments, as well as confusion about how business owners could qualify, NMDC stepped up in a big way. They acted as the point of contact for Aroostook businesses as they applied for assistance from the state, and made sure to educate staff on how the different programs worked. In 2021, NMDC was able to start making Paycheck Protection Program loans, allowing small businesses access to a local lender for their lending needs. This was hugely impactful, as previously, entrepreneurs may have relied on large banks with online platforms, without having access to

someone they could speak with directly. Having the community connection meant borrowers could better understand the program, and connect with SBDC mentors throughout the process. Thanks to the efforts of Northern Maine Development Commission over the years, and especially the leadership of Robert Clark, rural Maine has had a strong advocate for its small business community. In recognition of the dedication NMDC’s staff has shown, in hosting SBDC and PTAC resources, and in increasing access to PPP loans, NMDC has been named as the SBA’s 2022 Financial Services Champion for Maine.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • April 29, 2022