Innovative entrepreneurs
ought for county contest
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED last Friday that nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Sponsored by Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development (LEAD) and Momentum Aroostook, in conjunction with the region’s four institutions of higher education, the winner will be recognized at a dinner later this spring.
Speaking during last week’s press conference were, from left: Northern Maine Community College President Timothy Crowley, Jason Parent, LEAD member and current treasurer; Kari Wells-Puckett, chair of Momentum Aroostook; and Jon McLaughlin, LEAD president.
PRESQUE ISLE — Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development (LEAD) and Momentum Aroostook, in conjunction with the region’s four institutions of higher education, are looking for the next great entrepreneur.
At a press event held last Friday at Northern Maine Community College, officials announced that nominations are being accepted for Aroostook’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, giving recognition to progressive business founders/owners/operators in northern Maine. The theme for this year’s contest is innovation.
“The starting point for innovation is the generation of creative ideas,” said Jon McLaughlin, LEAD president. “Innovation is the process of taking those ideas to market or to usefulness. Throughout the history of Aroostook, innovation has played a key role in the economy whether it be a farmer devising a better way to harvest crops or a businessperson overcoming geographical barriers by embracing the Internet.”
The award will be given to a business leader who demonstrates excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation and personal commitment to their business and community. The nominees will be recognized and the winner will receive a plaque and a check for $500 at a special recognition dinner later this spring co-hosted by LEAD and Momentum Aroostook.
“The Entrepreneur of the Year Award encourages, recognizes and celebrates innovative and dedicated individuals and businesses in our community,” said Kari Wells-Puckett, chair of Momentum Aroostook. “These amazing entrepreneurs create an environment to retain and attract young professionals to our community and to directly and positively impact our economy.”
Community nominations must be received by March 27. There is no fee for nominations and self-nominations are encouraged. Previous nominees are eligible to be nominated again. LEAD and Momentum Aroostook members and their relatives are eligible to participate, and teachers are urged to nominate students who have developed a successful business. Program details and a nomination form are available for download at www.leadaroostook.com and www.momentumaroostook.com.
To be eligible for consideration, nominees must be the founder, owner or manager of a private or public company; be primarily responsible for the recent performance of the company or organization; and be an active member of top management. The company or organization must have been in operation at least one year.
A panel of six judges, one representing each of the sponsors, LEAD and Momentum Aroostook, and the supporting organizations — Husson University, NMCC, the University of Maine at Fort Kent and the University of Maine at Presque Isle — will select the 2013 honoree.
This is the fourth time LEAD and Momentum Aroostook have sponsored the competition. Jason Parent, LEAD member and current treasurer, has helped spearhead the effort.
“When we first brought the concept of the Entrepreneur of the Year program forward, we really felt it was the opportunity for us to not only showcase entrepreneurs throughout Aroostook County who are doing fabulous things, but also for us to encourage those who may be considering becoming an entrepreneur to do so by telling them and showcasing these wonderful stories,” he said. “We felt it could serve as an inspiration to folks, and I think it has.”
Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in the growth of the U.S. economy. In 2011, there were more than 27 million small businesses in the United States and according to the Small Business Administration, those businesses accounted for 60 to 80 percent of new jobs created.
“Creativity is at the base of all our abilities to succeed and do new things and to survive,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “Twenty years ago in what was Aroostook County, you created a business here, you sold your product to the people here and hopefully got your product on a train so it could go somewhere else, but most of your work was done within a 50- or 100-mile radius of here. Now the products that are being created and developed and sold from Aroostook County are going all over the world.
“Education is at the foundation of that because we need to inspire students, our children, our adult students and our business community to be more creative so they can be more competitive,” he said. “We do not have a local market, we have a global market and the creativity in Aroostook County is as good as anywhere else in the world and we’re seeing that with the products that we’re developing.”
Previous winners have included Matthew Bell of Presque Isle, founder and co-owner of Northeast Pellets, LLC of Ashland; Troy Haney, owner of Haney Building Specialties of Caribou; and Scott Galbiati and Jessica Jewell, co-owners of Northern Maine Distilling Co. doing business as Twenty 2 Micro Distilled Vodka in Houlton.
For more information about the initiative, contact LEAD Executive Director Ryan Pelletier at 498-8736 or rpelletier@nmdc.org.
