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The CCLC will have an information table set up at this community event.
Washington County Business Conference and Expo
ORONO, Maine - It's called entrepreneurial spirit, the driving motivation behind a successful business. That spirit will be on display in a variety of forms at the first Washington County Business Conference and Expo (WCBC&E) April 25-26 in Calais. The two-day event is free to the public.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with other organizations and sponsors, is organizing the event. The WCBC&E will highlight the local economic contributions of small businesses and the latest information about the county's business climate. In addition, it will include business management workshops and opportunities for business owners and managers to talk with other business people and public and private sector resource providers.
Small businesses play an important role in the Maine economy, particularly in Washington County, says James C. McConnon, Extension Business and Economics Specialist with Cooperative Extension in Orono. McConnon conducted a study of the economic importance of small businesses in Maine and New England. “Twenty percent of Maine’s employment is generated by about 121,000 businesses that employ up to 4 people. Maine ranks second in New England just behind Vermont and is well ahead of the national average of 16 percent. However, in Washington County small businesses generate employment for 29.5% of our workforce. It’s clear that a lot of the Downeast economy depends on small businesses.”
“With this fact in mind, the conference planning committee has chosen as the conference theme ‘Celebrating Washington County's Entrepreneurial Spirit,’” says Louis V. Bassano, Extension professor in Whitneyville. The overall goal of the conference is to bring together resources to create new businesses and help existing businesses to expand, become more profitable and create jobs in Washington County”.
As part of the WCBC&E, the Products and Services Expo will feature over 50 local businesses. "Free admission will encourage the general public to visit the Expo where they will become better acquainted with the products and services available through these businesses. We want to help local business owners connect with new customers," says Bassano.
Governor John Baldacci will be the keynote speaker on April 26. Baldacci will discuss his vision for economic development in Washington County and the role of small business as the engine of growth and development of rural economies of Maine. Nancy Raye, owner of Raye's Mustard Mill in Eastport, will be the Friday keynote speaker. Raye is a well-respected Washington County business owner who will address the opportunities and challenges of operating a successful business in a rural area of the state.
As part of the conference, Michael V. McCabe, president of the Cobscook Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, will lead a workshop and panel titled “Adding Value to Washington County Products and Services: How We Will Compete in the 21st Century”. In this two-hour workshop, panelists representing several value-added businesses from different resource sectors in Washington County will explain their successes and challenges in identifying, developing, and marketing value-added products. Participants will engage in a wide-ranging discussion to generate ideas for new value-added products that could be made in Washington County.
The conference will feature a special presentation “The Demographic and Economic Characteristics of Washington County Maine” by Robert Roper, associate professor of business management at the University of Maine at Augusta. Roper will discuss the results of a study he conducted on the Washington County economy. The study provides a comprehensive picture based on recent demographic and economic information and was designed to stimulate thinking about Washington County's social and economic future. The study provides valuable information about possible economic development strategies for Washington County. Copies of the study and an updated executive summary of its central findings will be available at the conference.
Representatives from the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be available to talk with conference participants about doing business with MDOT as a participant in the federally-supported Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. "It’s a program targeted at increasing participation by Woman-and-Minority-Owned Businesses in MDOT contracts,” says Penny Plourde, Office of Human Resources. "We’re looking for businesses to support our highway, bridge and transportation-related construction projects. Current participants in our program include landscapers, design consultants, one-truck trucking companies, and small paving companies, but we’d be happy to talk with anyone seeking more information about our program,” notes Plourde.
Amr Ismail, Mason Bay Resources, LLC, and Ivan Hanscom, The Office, will lead a special workshop entitled “Buy Local: An Effective Strategy for Keeping Consumer Dollars in Washington County”. This workshop is designed for owners of retail establishments who want to learn more about “Buy Local” marketing programs that are designed to reduce advertising costs through cooperative advertising and keep consumer dollars in local communities. At the end of the workshop participants will be able to join a network of establishments that want to explore this topic in greater depth.
Additional information about the Washington County Business Conference and Expo is available from Louis V. Bassano, University of Maine Cooperative Extension office in Whitneyville, 255-3345 or 800-287-1542. Registration is available online at www.wcbce.com. The Washington County Business Conference and Expo are funded, in part, by a grant from the Maine Community Foundation.
