MOBILIZE MIDCOAST MAINE – YEAR 2 YEAR 2 PLAN

WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM?

WE’VE ENGAGED KEY STAKEHOLDERS

WE’VE SET BENCHMARKS

WE’VE IDENTIFIED ASSETS

WE’VE IDENTIFIED KEY GROWTH SECTORS

WE’VE CREATED STRATEGIES

WE’VE PRIORITIZED PROJECTS Topsham Food Hub Camden Snow Bowl Brunswick Landing Tech Place

ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN ON THE HIGHEST PRIORITY PROJECTS Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority and Coastal Counties Workforce Inc. were awarded $2,050,000 in federal funding as part of the “Make it in America Challenge” for the TechPlace advanced manufacturing accelerator in the former Brunswick Naval Air Station Camden voters approved a $2 million bond to match $4.5 million in donations to upgrade the Snow Bowl The Maine Harvest Company and the Town of Topsham are currently waiting on a decision from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development on a CDBG Economic Development Program Grant to help fund the Topsham Food Hub

NOW THIS YEAR WE WILL… Start working on projects that will create economic growth… Understand the impacts of the projects we choose to focus on and how to measure them… Work with the other Economic Development Districts to develop a Statewide CEDS…

LEADERSHIP TEAM: YEAR 2 ROLE Guidance and direction to Action Teams. Consistency with Mobilize Midcoast Maine Goals Applying research and analysis Connecting the dots: Who needs to be involved in which initiatives? What resources are available? What is currently being done that is similar or inter-related? What else needs to be done for our initiatives to be successful?

ACTION TEAMS: YEAR 2 ROLE Developing projects that will generate economic activity: Food, Fishing & Farming – Developing connections between local food producers and local and regional buyers Manufacturing & Technology – Value chain mapping of manufacturing in the region Natural and Cultural Assets – Developing experiential tourism packages Talent – Events to introduce entrepreneurs to well connected retirees

EXAMPLES OF YEAR 2 PROJECTS IN OTHER REGIONS Mobilize Northern Maine: Renewable Energy Action Team Implementing a strategy to convert residential and commercial heating systems to biomass (wood pellets). Will generate an annual economic impact of $23 million in Aroostook County. Already several businesses are converting from oil to wood energy, saving money and jobs, and cultivating a local energy conversion industry in the process. Mobilize Southern Maine: Workforce Development Action Team 10 week community college training program for manufacturing workers. Every member of the program’s 15 person inaugural class has secured employment at one of York County’s manufacturing businesses.

FOOD, FISHING AND FARMING Goal – Link local farmers and fishermen with local food product developers, processors, institutions and restaurants Relevant Assets – Strong fishing and agricultural sector, community supported agriculture programs and fisheries, Potential Project(s) (Example) – Assisting the Topsham Food Hub to package produce in compliance with the purchasing guidelines of large local institutions (surveying large local institutions re: purchasing requirements and procedures)

CURRENT ACTION TEAM MEMBERS: FOOD, FISHING AND FARMING Chris Hamilton – MOFGA Emily Reinholt – Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission Jamien Richardson - CYON Business Solutions Pam Hile - Sagadahoc County John Shattuck - Town of Topsham Tod Yankee - Maine Harvest Company Genna Cherichello Tim Harkins Potential Leads: Monique Coombs - CYON Seafood Industry and Marketing Patrice McCarron - Executive Director, Maine Lobstermen's Association Patrick Wright - Gardiner Main Street Program

MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY Goal – To understand who is engaged in manufacturing in the Midcoast and what their challenges are Relevant Assets – Cutting edge manufacturing sectors: boatbuilding (Bath Iron Works), composites, food processing, medical components, Bigelow Laboratory, Brunswick Landing Potential Project(s) – Surveys, focus groups and interviews with local manufacturers to understand their challenges and design initiatives to respond to these challenges

CURRENT ACTION TEAM MEMBERS: MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY Bill Card - Small Business Administration Chris Rector - Senator, District 22 - co-chair LCRED. Small business owner. Knox county resident. Dave Boucher - Town of Edgecomb Jack Williams - Senior Vice President, Camden National Bank Joseph Paolillo - Boothbay Comprehensive Planning Board Ronn Orenstein - Damariscotta Selectman

NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASSETS Goal – Promoting the “authentic Maine” brand by bolstering existing assets to support and grow experiential tourism Relevant Assets – A high concentration of arts, cultural, historic and natural attractions Potential Project – Engage fishermen and farmers, museums and inns, boaters and guides and even private businesses like BIW to create imaginative experience opportunities (like wine trails, tool trails and historic trails)

CURRENT ACTION TEAM MEMBERS: NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASSETS Amy Lent- Maine Maritime Museum Brian Hodges - Town of Camden Carmine Pecorelli - Town of Belmont Kris Folsom - CMBG Linda Morkeski Robert Peabody - Town of Rockport Victoria Boundy - Town of Richmond Potential Leads: Peggy Konitzky - Manager of 2 historic houses in Wiscasset/ New England organization Peter Simons - Bowdoin International Music Festival

TALENT Goal – Connect the old and young talent, native and newcomer talent, to foster and grow entrepreneurship Relevant Assets – Creative young talent growing up and older talent visiting and retiring in the region Potential Project – Development of a business mentoring program for emerging entrepreneurs

CURRENT ACTION TEAM MEMBERS: TALENT Bill Blodgett - Lincoln County Commissioner Eric Waters - Representing the Healthcare/long term care, senior housing sector Jennifer Geiger - Maine Street Bath Director John Gibbons - Town of Union Matt Lutkus - Town of Damariscotta Seth Walton - Youthlinks in Rockland William Chapman - Town of Rockport

EXAMPLE: FOOD, FARMING & FISHING ACTION TEAM PLAN GoalsRelevant AssetsPotential Project Who Else Needs to Be Involved?ActionsOutcomes Responsible PartiesTimeframes Link local farmers and fishermen with local food product developers, processors and restaurants Community supported agriculture programs Mapping growers to outlets based on Coastal Farms Food Processing Model in Belfast as a model for the Topsham Food Hub Inventory of producers & markets they access Community supported fisheries Inventory of regional/local processors and their suppliers Strong fishing and agricultural sector Inventory of other potenital markets (i.e. restaurants, institutions, etc.) Local restaurants Identifying opportunities to link local producers with processors and other markets Local producers

UNDERSTANDING IMPACTS AND BENCHMARKING All EDD’s in Maine will be working with Charlie Colgan from USM to: Understand the present state of industry clusters Understand recent trends in in the development of clusters Potential impacts of cluster development activities As the Leadership Team you will use this data to guide your decision making around the value and potential of specific activities

HOW DO WE FIT IN WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE? All the EDDs will combine their CEDS to create a Statewide Economic Development Strategy The EDDs have been working together to better share resources and provide businesses across the State with access to capital through the Maine Capital Access Network (MECAN)

LEADERSHIP TEAM: YEAR 2 ACTION PLAN November 13, 2013: Launch of Year 2 – overview of year 2 program activities Early February, 2014: Presentation of Cluster Analysis – clusters that have the greatest potential for growth in the Midcoast Mid March, 2014: Mobilize Maine Summit – Action Teams to present activities being undertaken or planned to Leadership Team April – December, 2014: Ongoing feedback to action teams and decision making on which activities should be prioritized

ACTION TEAMS: YEAR 2 PLAN Launch of Year 2: Each action team to identify priority initiatives and action plan to implement them Late November, 2013 Ongoing meetings to report on follow up actions taken to implement priority initiatives and refining action plans December to March, 2014 Mobilize Midcoast Maine Summit: Presentation to Leadership Team on priority initiatives and their status Mid March, 2014 Ongoing implementation of priority initiatives April –December, 2014

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN YEAR 2? What are other projects/initiatives/actions that the Action Teams should consider? Who else needs to be involved with the action teams to make things happen? Who is willing to serve as a chair to the Action Teams? What role would the Leadership Team like play in relation to the action teams (if any) beyond support and guidance?

! Thank you for your commitment to improving the economic opportunities in Midcoast Maine!