| Larry
Shaw
Larry Shaw '81 is President & CEO of Maine Mutual
Group in Presque Isle, Maine. Maine Mutual writes
personal and commercial insurance throughout Maine, New
Hampshire, and Vermont. The Company has over 75,000
customers serviced in partnership with 125 independent
agencies. Its business model is driven by strong
commitments to employee development, technology, and
exceptional customer service. Maine Mutual employs more
than 125 people and will crest the $100 million revenue
mark in 2005. In the words of Mr. Shaw: "We are
committed to continued growth in the future which will
be facilitated by a dual strategy of efficiency gained
through e-Commerce initiatives and expansion of our
workforce in several areas including information
technology. The evolution of our business is becoming
very diverse and, accordingly, it will create great
opportunities for existing and future employees." The
company is participating in the Pine Tree Development
Zone program to expand its infrastructure and hire new
employees. It expects to hire 10 new employees to
support its e-commerce efforts and up to 50 employees
over the 10-year term of their participation in the
program.
www.mainemutual.com
Sheridan Kelley
A Cherryfield native, Kelley left
Maine to work for Polaroid after attending Bowdoin College.
She obtained her Masters of Fine Arts degree from the
Savannah College of Art and Design where she studied
painting with Raphael DiLuzio. DiLuzio later became
a professor of new media at UMaine, and contacted Kelley
after establishing a Year in Film class to encourage
her to pursue graduate studies in film at UMaine. Kelley
has founded Knife Edge Productions, a video production
company, with fellow UMaine graduate student, Nathan
Hankla. "Working with Nathan Hankla has been great.
I look forward to coming into the office everyday."
Mark Waite
Mark Waite ’82, returned to
Maine after a very successful career in business and
engineering. He co-founded the semiconductor company
Extreme Packet Devices, which in 2000 was acquired by
PMC-Sierra for $415 million. Waite is working with Maine
start-ups to provide managerial and marketing expertise
through his consulting firm, Launch Momentum. Since
early 2004, Waite has been working with UMaine spin-off
Stillwater Scientific Instruments, a developer of high-tech
laboratory equipment, to forge relationships with the
major manufacturers of scientific instruments.
www.launchmomentum.com
Two years ago, Chris Frank was a
master’s degree candidate in UMaine’s Spatial
Information Science and Engineering. Since then,
he has formed a company called Intelligent Spatial Technologies
(IST) located at UMaine’s Target Technology Incubator.
The company grew out of his research at UMaine and is
aimed at providing smart mapping devices to help tourists
identify landmarks and prospective college students
tour campuses. IST now has five employees.
“There really hasn’t been a better time
to start a new business in Maine. It’s the time
of new growth. Through the University’s Incubator,
I have received great support from organizations committed
to supporting new businesses: Maine Technology Institute,
Maine Patent Program, Small Business Development Center,
Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Maine International
Trade Center, Market Development Center…the list
goes on."
http://www.i-spatialtech.com/
Nathan Hankla
Nathan Hankla is a graduate student at the University
of Maine. As an intern for the Office of Research and
Economic Development, he put his education to work designing
web sites and brochures and creating digital films.
Working on these projects sparked his entrepreneurial
spirit, and he has since launched his own company, versionZero.
The company develops new media products that integrate
cutting-edge technology and graphics into print, video
and web design. With assistance from our Target Technology
Incubator, he has developed marketing and pricing strategies
that have allowed him to develop a growing client list.
www.VER0.com/
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