CARIBOU — The Aroostook Partnership, in conjunction with the four institutions of higher education in the region, is once again looking for exceptional entrepreneurs in Aroostook County and are soliciting nominations for the 2016 Aroostook Entrepreneur of the Year.
The Aroostook’s Entrepreneur ‚Ä“ 2016 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.
A notable change this year is an increase in prize money, which will now be awarded to the top three finalists. The nominees will be recognized and the winner will receive a plaque and a check for $1,000 at a special recognition dinner later this spring at Northern Maine Community College. Second and third runners up will receive $500 and $250 respectively.
Partnership Chairman Chris Anderson said Entrepreneur of the Year is very important for the organization and Aroostook.
“The Aroostook Partnership is about fostering prosperity,” he said. “Prosperity occurs when organizations grow and employ people. Communities thrive when prosperity occurs. Entrepreneurs create new organizations; therefore, the Aroostook Partnership celebrates our entrepreneurs as catalysts for our communities’ future prosperity.”
Nominations must be received by April 29. There is no fee for nominations and self-nominations are encouraged. Previous nominees are eligible to be nominated again. Program details and a nomination form are available for download at www.appme.org.
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 from the Aroostook Partnership, one from each supporting organization — Husson University, Northern Maine Community College, the University of Maine at Fort Kent and University of Maine at Presque Isle — and last year’s winner, will select the 2016 honoree.
Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in the growth of the U.S. economy. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses provide 55 percent of all jobs and 66 percent of all net new jobs since the 1970s.
This is the seventh time the Entrepreneur of the Year competition has been held in Aroostook. Originally a LEADers Encouraging Aroostook Development initiative, the competition continues now under the Partnership after the LEAD and Aroostook Partnership for Progress merger in November 2015.
“It is important to stress and encourage entrepreneurial efforts; they play a key role in economic development, and we have some excellent examples that we need to reward and celebrate,” said Aroostook Partnership President Robert Dorsey.
Previous winners include David Harbison of Bison Pumps in Houlton, Matt Bell of Northeast Pellets in Ashland, Northern Maine Distilling’s Jessica Jewell and Scott Galbiati (formerly of Houlton), Troy Haney of Haney Building Specialties in Caribou, Corey LaPlante of Northern Prosthetics in Presque Isle and Josh McLaughlin of J. McLaughlin Construction in Houlton.
For more information about the initiative, contact Dorsey at 498-8736 or rdorsey@nmdc.org.
