 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Thursday, July 02, 2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
New MPMP Members
Welcome to these 41 new program members who have joined since April, 2003. This brings our MPMP membership total to 1445! Many of these new members have immediately taken advantage of the complimentary business profile on www.mainemade.com. To find out more about these new member businesses, please peruse the program web site.
Aither (Greek God of Light) (Brunswick)
Birdbaths & Such (Sullivan)
Castlebay, Inc. (Round Pond)
Chip Flanagan – Boatbuilder (Portland)
Coldbrook Candles (Bangor)
Custom Creations by Beth and Kate (Portland)
Done Roving Farm & Carding Mill (Charlotte)
Hallowell Woodworks (Hallowell)
Harpswell Silks (Harpswell)
Jim’s Cabinet Shop (Richmond)
Maine Times (Bangor)
Maine Woodturnings Plus (Livermore Falls)
Moosehead Cedar Log Homes (Greenville)
Mr. Cribbage (Millinocket)
Pinkham Historical Books (Machiasport)
Rebecca’s Mountainside Designs (Wilton)
Seastuff (North Yarmouth)
Serendipity Arts dba Bonnie Alpander (Hampden)
The Apprenticeshop of Atlantic Challenge (Rockland)
The Peddler’s Cart (Phippsburg)
Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design (Kennebunkport/Arundel)
|
|
Backwoods Post & Beam (Lincoln)
Capestries (Appleton)
Celestial Soaps and Gifts (Gray)
Clay Forms Pottery (Sedgwick)
Crown Me Artisans (Cumberland)
Damselfly Gallery (Edgecomb)
Driftwood Arts, Inc. (New Portland)
Harbor Treasures (Winter Harbor)
Heartfelt Gifts of Maine (Freeport)
Lois J. Strickland – Artist (Pownal)
Maine Sculpture Studio (Cape Elizabeth)
Mom’s Home-Made Crafts (Dresden)
Morningstar Marble & Granite (Topsham)
My Lady’s Garden (Litchfield)
Rabbit Corner Woodworks (Isleboro)
Restless Hands (Lincoln)
Sproul’s of Maine (Lincoln)
Springcliffe Designs (Cumberland)
The Maine Highlands Guild (Dover-Foxcroft)
WEM Woodworks (Blue Hill)
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| Kudos to these exceptional program members! |
|
| Henning Porcelain |
| Michelle Henning was featured on the “Flair for Fashion” episode of the MPBS Made in Maine show.
The segment focused on her limited production jewelry, which is sold in boutiques throughout Maine
and New England. |
|
| Haven’s Candies |
| Haven’s Candies has been designated as the Official Confectioner of Lighthouses on Parade. This
promotion brings together Maine businesses and charities, with over 65 lighthouses constructed and
decorated – each one over 10 feet tall. “Haven’s Light” will be displayed outside their Westbrook
factory from May to August. Their lighthouse is created with everything from chocolate foundation
blocks to lobsters, Santas, Easter Bunnies, and a chocolate-covered strawberry at the peak. Andy
Charles invites you all to come and take a look! |
|
| Edgecomb Potters |
| Rand McNally has selected Edgecomb Potters as one of only 28 companies nationwide to win
“Best of the Road Award”, which signifies a “must stop.” The award is prominently displayed in the
2003 road atlas, and Edgecomb Potters was the only art/craft company selected nationwide. |
|
| Cookies Direct |
| Bob Sargent of Maine International Networking Service (MINS) reports that Debbie Godowsky of
Cookies Direct has been linked with MINS correspondents in six countries around the world, and is
successfully developing these new overseas connections. If your company is ready to explore
international marketing options, please contact Bob Sargent at 207-359-8977 or
email: sergeant@prexar.com. The MINS service is free for Maine businesses with annual sales of
$250,000 or less. |
|
| The Maine Highlands Guild |
| Executive Director Tracy Michaud Stutzman reports that The Maine Highlands Guild received 1st
Place in the National Social Venture Competition held at Columbia University in New York. Along
with the $25,000 grand prize, the Guild and region will receive national recognition for social
entrepreneurship. The Guild is a non-profit organization providing marketing and sales services
to artisan-based micro-businesses in Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties. For more information,
please contact Tracy at 207-564-0041 or email: info@themainehighlands-guild.org. |
|
| Floating Trade Show Participants |
| The T.S. State of Maine is now carrying its precious cargo of Maine goods to Antwerp, Belgium,
the Canary Islands, and Halifax, Nova Scotia ports, to be promoted by the Maine International Trade
Center (MITC) at port receptions. Participating MPMP members include: Bald Mountain Maple, Bartlett
Maine Estate Winery, Bethel Furniture Stock, Inc., Castlebay, Inc., Correct Building Products, Glass
Orchids, Lyn’s Country Kitchen, Maine Balsam Fir Products, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, The Maine
Highlands Guild, Maine Threadweaver, Martin S. Shuer – Photographer, Poseidon Seafoods, Inc., Rick’s
Lobster Shack, Stinson Canning Company, and The New England Cupboard (Winterport Company). A
sponsorship was also provided by MPMP member K-D Display & Design, Inc., who provided on-board
display cases for Maine products. |
|
back to top |
| Trade Shows, Craft Fairs, Festivals, & Exhibits |
|
| Second Annual Gourmet Food Festival |
| The Maine Gourmet & Specialty Food Producers (MG&SFP) and the Maine Aquaculture Association are
hosting this event, which occurs during the Freeport Summer Sidewalk Sale Days on June 28th and 29th.
A 30’ x 100’ tent will be set up on Independence Green (in front of Wilbur’s Chocolates) on Main
Street, providing booth space for 30 exhibitors. There will also be room outside of the tent for
free-standing displays. If interested in this unique opportunity to gain Route 1 exposure for your
specialty food, please contact MG&SFP’s new intern Stefano Tijerina at Heart of Maine RC&D at
207-368-5954 or email: info@heartofmainercd.org. |
|
| 14th Annual Full Circle Summer Fair |
| Community Radio WERU-FM 89.9 (Blue Hill) and 102.9 (Bangor) is presenting this event at the Blue
Hill Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 9 (4 – 10 PM) and Sunday, August 10 (10 AM – 6 PM). Booth space
is available for craft vendors ($50), sustainable living ($50), agricultural ($25), holistic health
($25) and non-profit organizations ($25). Please call WERU-FM at 207-469-6600 or writing WERU-FM,
PO Box 170, East Orland, ME 04431 for applications. |
|
| Union Fair/Maine State Wild Blueberry Festival |
| Exhibitors and vendors are sought for Blueberry Acres, which is a multi-functional area centrally
located at the Maine Wild blueberry Festival, and houses crafters, food vendors, entertainment, and
demonstrations. This is the second season for Blueberry Acres, which is dedicated to all things
“Blueberry”, Maine made products, and Maine businesses. Please contact Gail Hawes at 207-785-6482 or
email: GEHAWES@TIDEWATER.NET for more information. |
|
| 8TH Annual Fine Furnishings Providence Show |
| This November 7 – 9, 2003 show will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center and boasts 30%
more space, 25% new exhibitors, and a new partner, the Providence Craft Show. “Breakfast in Bed” is
the theme for this year’s product parade, with designers and decorators creating bedroom vignettes
utilizing furniture and unique accessories made by show exhibitors. Please contact Karla Little at
401-841-9201 or email: klittle@finefurnishingsshow.com
for more information. |
|
| Maine Arts Commission (MAC) |
| Artists are invited to submit slides of available, two-dimensional artwork to MAC for participation
in About Maine, exhibitions within the Maine State Capitol. Future exhibitions include: “Ports of Call:
Rockport to Phippsburg”, September 1 – November 21, 2003; “The Arts District: Greater Portland &
Cumberland County”, November 24, 2003 – February 13, 2004; “The County: Aroostok Communities”, February
23 – May 21, 2004; “Shining on the Sunrise County”, May 31 – August 20, 2004; “The Upper Coast: Mount
Desert Island to Belfast”, August 30 – November 19, 2004. Please contact Kathy Ann Shaw at MAC at
207-287-2750, or email: kathy.shaw@maine.gov for submission
details. |
|
back to top |
| Educational Resources: Workshops and Seminars |
The Nitty-Gritty Details of Selling
Geared to specialty food producers, this one-day workshop will present a framework for the process
of selling, from the initial contact with a buyer to the ultimate goal of making a sale. From roll
out and product placement, this workshop will cover a wide range of sales topics including selling
to restaurants, large accounts, chain stores, gourmet food stores, and gift shops. Offered in two
locations: Bangor, June 12, 2003 from 9 AM – 4 PM at US Department of Agriculture State Office,
Illinois Avenue and Portland, June 13, 2003 from 9 AM – 4 PM at Maine International Trade Center,
511 Congress Street. For more information, please contact Heart of Maine RD & D at 207-368-4433 or
email: info@heartofmainercd.org.
Coastal Cruising Symposium
Rail and sail programs that look to the future of car free vacationing in Maine will be explored at
a symposium held June 17, 2003 from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Bangor.
Please contact Amy Powers, Director of CruiseMaine, at 207-892-0709 or email: aepowers@aol.com, and
visit their web site at www.cruisemaineusa.com.
back to top
|
| Marketing Opportunities |
QVC
Aspiring entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their consumer products to QVC at their
National Product Search on August 8th and 9th at the company’s headquarters, QVC Studio Park, in
West Chester, Pennsylvania. Manufacturers, inventors, and designers will be able to share their
innovative consumer products with QVC representatives from merchandising, product development, and
vendor relations divisions. Advance registration is necessary by July 24th, and registration
information can be found at www.qvcproductsearch.com. If
further questions, please contact Barbara Magner, Vendor Relations Manager, at 484-701-8894, or
email: BARBARA_MAGNER@qvc.com.
www.FurnitureAntiques.net
This new online marketplace offers woodworkers, cabinetmakers, furniture makers, and artisans to
display architectural antique and reproduction furniture to a target audience. Registration is free
for the first 30 days, and up to 40 items can be listed with photos. Please check the Terms of
Service and FAQs section to determine if www.FurnitureAntiques.net can aid in your marketing efforts.
Sales Representation
Lodge, Camp & Cottage Accents (a division of MPMP member Wild Echoes Interior Accents) is growing!
This new venture offers manufacturers of ‘Lodge Look’ products access to high quality sales
representation on the road as well as trade show opportunities. A group of experienced sales
associates is being developed in prime territories around the country. Upcoming trade show
opportunities are the Atlanta Gift Show in February and the New England Products Trade Show (NEPTS)
in March. If you are interested in expanding your wholesale market through sales representation,
please contact Susan Grant-Johnson or Brian Johnson (see Images & Print below in Services) at
207-647-8407 or email: info@wildechoesinterioraccents.com
and visit www.wildechoesinterioraccents.com.
back to top |
| Product Search |
Traditional Craftsmen Sought
Are you a Maine craftsman using traditional tools and practices in the creation of your work? Maine PBS
is searching for weavers, blacksmiths, woodworkers, home and boat builders who use 17th century tools and
techniques to supplement research on their Maine history series: HOME: The Story of Maine. If this
criteria fits your business description, please email Stephanie Philbrick at Stephanie@schroff.com by
June 15, 2003.
Donated Raffle Items Sought
The Maine Cancer Foundation is seeking donated raffle items for their Second Annual Cure Breast Cancer
for ME luncheon, which will be held Tuesday, September 30, 2003. If you wish to offer your support of
this event, please call the Cancer Foundation at 207-773-2533 for more information.
back to top
|
| Services |
This information is passed on to you when space allows, but does not indicate endorsement of a
particular business or their services. Please visit the new Service Company listings in the Member
Resources area of www.mainemade.com for additional listings of companies who provide services that
may enhance your business efforts. This area includes companies such as web and graphic designers,
shipping specialists, packaging suppliers, storage and fulfillment, writing services, events
production, and consultants.
Images & Print
This new catalog, photography and design company is located in Bridgton, Maine. Owner Brian Johnson
has over twenty years of experience in the catalog production field working on projects for both
national companies and small family businesses. Whether the photography is for web or print,
Images & Print offers special product photography packages of exceptional quality at affordable
prices. For more information on simple sales sheets, complex catalog production, or other printed
materials, call Brian at 207-647-8407 or email: brianjcg@adelphia.net.
Vision Payment Solutions
This Maine-based electronic payment service provider specializes in credit, debit, and gift card
processing. MPMP program members are offered highly discounted pricing, referral incentives, and a
variety of terminal and software processing tools that can be tailored to meet the needs of all
businesses. VPS recognizes the benefits that a local provider can offer to Maine businesses, and
offers in-depth training and free customer service and technical support available 24 hours daily.
Please contact Matthew Steinberg at VPS for a free, no obligation account analysis by calling
1-877-674-2286 or email: info@visionpayments.com and
visit www.visionpaymentsolutions.com.
back to top
|
| New Service Listings on www.mainemade.com |
Capital Area Staffing Solutions, Inc. (Augusta)
Intuitive Design Inc. (Portland)
Maine International Networking Service (Sargentville)
|
|
Images & Print (North Bridgton)
Maine Net Services (Poland)
Vision Payment Solutions (Eliot)
|
back to top
|
| New Retail Listings on www.mainemade.com |
Retailers who carry 75% or more of Maine products in their inventory are entitled to a
listing in the new Retail Locations section.
|
Eastside Screenprinting (Portland)
Vacationland Crafters (Wiscasset)
|
|
Rockport Chocolates (Rockland)
Windswept Creations (Augusta)
|
|
 |
If you are an artisan that also has a studio open to the public, please do adjust your profile
accordingly so that you will also be featured in this section. Under Business Contact Information
you would need to indicate the appropriate region, and under the Business Specifics you would need
to indicate your Retailer Status (retail store, artisan’s studio, or both). Then, be sure to
highlight ‘Retailer’ in the Business Category (just hold down the Control key to highlight multiple
categories). Please don’t hesitate to call if you need assistance!
|
back to top |
| Virtual House Tour on www.mainemade.com! |
In spite of the rainy weather, the photo shoot for this experiential showcasing of Maine products
has been successfully completed, and most of you have probably already received your returned product.
Over 204 MPMP member products were featured – over four times what was originally planned. By extending
the boundaries of their stipulated contracts, the generosity of the photographer, Stretch Tuemmler of
Stretch Studio in Portland, and the web host and designers at xwave New England, ensured that every
member who submitted product was featured in some way. And, the kind help of MPMP member Sherri Cook
at Cook and Cook Cabinetry in Scarborough led me to the dear saints in Freeport who lent the use of
their lovely home for three days of upheaval. Thank you to all for making this project more than a
constrained budget could have allowed! Your support of Maine businesses and their products is evident
and supremely appreciated.
Browsers will be able to tour the den/living room, kitchen, and dining areas of the home and click on
the various items to discover which vendor manufactures the product, linking automatically to the profile
of that manufacturer. Please, participants, do have your profile on www.mainemade.com up to date for
additional visitors! And, if you don’t have an image in place, or want to update the one you have, just
email me a jpg sized 450 x 450 at 72 resolution. Or, you can mail me a 4 x 6 color photo, if you prefer.
The first part of September will see the Fall/Winter home products featured on the site, with
Spring/Summer products appearing in March. This afforded a year’s exposure for the home tour, with only
one photographic session. If your product does not appear in the Fall/Winter showcase, please be
patient – it will appear in the Spring!
back to top
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Newly Listed Products:
|
|
