To back up that sentiment, a number of local companies are willing to contribute what is expected to be about $100,000 or more in cash and in-kind services to the most promising start-up company.

As part of the “L-A: It’s Happening Here!” campaign, the Growth Council and Chamber are launching a new initiative that has an ambitious goal of connecting with youth who have roots in the community, and encouraging them to consider starting a business in Lewiston-Auburn.

The program, called “Launch L-A!,” features a contest inviting young entrepreneurs to submit a proposal to start a business in L-A. Entries will be screened by a committee of business and banking professionals who will judge the ideas on a number of criteria including creativity, viability, and community need. The winning entrepreneur will receive an equity infusion of $10,000 – $20,000 seed money, along with a number of in-kind services for a year, including business consulting, accounting services, legal fees, ad agency services, rent, and more — all provided by Chamber members. Runners-up may also receive in-kind services.

Bangor Savings Bank has already committed $5,000 to seeding the prize package.

The application will encourage ideas to be supported using digital applications such as video presentations, web sites, podcasts, and digital photos. Adding a page from the “American Idol” script, finalists will be voted upon electronically by members of the L-A community.

“The value of this program is not merely that a few innovators will get assistance to launch a business in Lewiston-Auburn,” says Paul Badeau, Marketing Director, Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council. “What’s perhaps more important is the message this sends to the world outside of L-A’s borders: namely, that Lewiston-Auburn welcomes young, creative entrepreneurs and is committed to helping them succeed.”

The Chamber will solicit members to contribute by providing in-kind services to the winner for a year. Sponsor companies will be recognized in various media and on-line promotion. Chamber President Chip Morrison explains that sponsors may also benefit by earning the entrepreneurs’ business after the contest is over.

Morrison says when it comes to sweetening the pot for the lucky winner, the committee working on planning the contest is open to any ideas for prizes: a hotel account for business clients, a business meal account at a local restaurant, car rental, office space, even housing for the entrepreneur. “The sky’s the limit,” says Morrison. “The more in-kind support we provide, the more we become a national model about providing entrepreneurs with community support, and ultimately, the more publicity the community — and our businesses — will get.”

“The contest is part of a broader initiative to connect and keep in touch with young people, particularly college grad “expatriates” who have graduated from local high schools,” says Wendy Tardif, a member of the event planning committee. “Using e-mail and social media like Facebook and Twitter, young people will get regular updates about the community’s ongoing renaissance.”

Although the “L-A: It’s Happening Here!” image and awareness campaign has made efforts to reach out to young adults over the years — namely, by hosting downtown walking tours with Bates College freshmen and launching a scholarship contest encouraging students to write essays about what they value in L-A – Badeau says the community, like many others, struggles to retain/attract young people.

“That’s often true of native sons and daughters who leave for college and don’t return, sometimes because they don’t perceive that gainful employment or opportunities can be found in Maine,” explains Laura Davis, a partner at Rinck Advertising who is also a member of the committee. “We hope people follow this story chapter by chapter.”

Rinck Advertising, an Auburn-based advertising and public relations agency, has contributed its services in-kind to developing the logo for the effort.

“We have what most young people want here in L-A: urban life, arts and culture, affordable housing, a riverfront, plenty of good restaurants, and talented people,” says Davis. “What we don’t have is enough recognition for our assets, and enough help for struggling entrepreneurs.”

Even if young people don’t return to the community for whatever reason, it is still important that they feel proud of their community in order to serve as ambassadors, stay connected to local institutions, and serve as future benefactors for local institutions, says Morrison.

“Will our youth return in droves because of this? Probably not,” answers Morrison. “But if we can help a few entrepreneurs get off the ground, and get young people with roots in the L/A area to feel proud of their home community, we will have been wildly successful.”

T.H. Creations, a Lewiston-based web site development company, will create a web site to promote the contest. Companies interested in finding out more about the contest and how they can be a part of it should contact the Growth Council at 784-0161 or the Chamber at 783-2249.

###

Few topics conjure up imagination, romance, and the quest for adventure as that of the formation of a railroad. A new book on the history of the Lewiston and Auburn Railroad Company does just that.

Written by Douglas I. Hodgkin, Bates College Professor Emeritus of Political Science, “The Lewiston and Auburn Railroad Company, 1872-2009” is a detailed history of the Railroad beginning with its controversial charter adoption.

Although initiated by local textile manufacturers, the railroad’s creation was ultimately opposed by those same textile companies, along with the Maine Central Railroad. Hodgkin shows early photos of the railroad from its time as a vibrant means of transporting immigrants to the local area, to its dormancy and rebirth.

Hodgkin describes the immigration of the ancestors of many Lewiston and Auburn residents from Quebec, arriving at the Depot on Lincoln Street.

In his book, Hodgkin explains how the railroad has been a key player in the economic development of the region through intermodal transportation technology.

The 136-page paperback retails for $20, and is available at Mr. Paperback in Lewiston and Percy’s Burrow in Auburn, as well as at the fourth-floor office of the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council at 415 Lisbon Street in Lewiston.

Google will select one or more communities throughout the United States to become test sites to develop a fiber-based high-speed network that could potentially be 100 times faster than most consumers have at home. As part of the selection process, Google recently called for interested communities to submit detailed information on issues ranging from climate and topographical data to the number of electrical conduits and high-tech employees in the area.

Improved Internet connectivity would potentially offer a huge boost to existing businesses, education centers and citizens as well as greatly expand business development opportunities. The area’s various hospitals, colleges and commercial industries could all benefit through improved opportunities to collaborate, create and conduct business in completely new ways.

Lewiston, Auburn and Western Maine formed a coalition together with the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments and submitted an application on Friday, March 26th, the project deadline. The coalition included the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, the governments of the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn, and the Western Maine Economic Development Council.

Even after the deadline, efforts to attract Google to Lewiston, Auburn and Western Maine continue, and are gathering popular support.

The project has found a life on-line, and includes a website (www.lawantsgoogle.com), a Facebook group (Google Fiber for L-A and Western Maine) and a video depicting community residents in support of the project. The L-A Economic Growth Council is encouraging public support for the Google Fiber for Communities project and is hoping that the movement picks up speed.

Google has said it will choose the communities or community later this year.

###

As is an annual tradition, the Cities of Lewiston and Auburn will also bestow their annual Economic Achievement Awards at the event.

Former Governor Angus King, Maine Chamber President Dana Connors, and guitarist Denny Breau are among the confirmed guests who will appear on the “L-A Tonight Show.” Michael Miclon, a regular at the Oddfellow Theater in Buckfield, will be the host of the show. The event is one of the largest business networking events of the year, and attracts more than 300 business and community leaders.

Click here to see the Annual Dinner Brochure FINALand registration. For more info or sponsorship details, call LAEGC at 784-0161.

This year’s show will be held Thursday, June 10, at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. Considered by many businesses to be the year’s most significant networking event for its ability to draw an estimated 2,500 business attendees, this year’s show will focus on the need for organizations to seize opportunities to innovate, reinvent themselves, and take a fresh look at what they do best.

“With the recession and the related sobering changes of the last few years, companies have had to rethink their business models and the economic landscape,” says Paul Badeau, LAEGC’s marketing director. “Now, I think everyone is hungry for a fresh start. Turning the calendar page to a new decade provides us all with an opportunity to take a new look at who we are, what we do, and where we’re going. That’s what this show is all about: making new connections, new starts, new alliances.”

The show is the largest one-day business event in the state, and includes nearly 200 exhibitors. It is believed to be the state’s longest-running consecutive business show.

Organizers will use modern communications tools such as text messaging and social media to connect with exhibitors, attendees, and sponsors. Show planners are launching a special Text Messaging Club where exhibitors and attendees who join get a chance to win prizes, get exclusive offers, and share ideas, information, and stories.

The Shipyard Lounge will be transformed into the Show 2010 Cyber Café. This free wi-fi café will allow attendees an area to unwind, check e-mail and voice mail, and enjoy coffee beverages. Kripalu Therapeutic Massage and Brunswick Physical Therapy will also offer free massages. “We think of it as mid-afternoon booster fuel,” says Badeau.

June marks the show’s 15^th anniversary. As such, the show will include balloons, a giant birthday cake, and plenty of surprises, including the “launch” of a virtual rocket ship!

Organizers will also host some of the mainstays that have made the show great, including a giant Chamber Breakfast at the beautiful Bates College Commons in Lewiston, and a Business After Hours featuring the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch and local restaurants.

As has been the case for the past several years, the show is expected to sell out. For information on exhibiting, contact Paul Badeau at 784-0161, or e-mail pbadeau@economicgrowth.org. Sponsorship opportunities also remain.

To join the B to B Text Club, and get a chance to win prizes, get up-to-date show info, and exclusive offers, Text B2B to 30364.

For a registration form to exhibit at the show, click here: Exhibitor Reg Form_2010

“These Recovery Act grants represent the Obama Administration’s ongoing efforts to ensure strategic investments and increase economic opportunities in rural America,” said Vilsack. “Small businesses play an important role in building strong communities while providing vital products and services to local residents. This funding will help spur important economic development and strengthen communities around the country.” 

In addition to the $4 million that USDA Rural Development is providing for the 44 projects announced today, recipients have raised $6.9 million from other sources that will be invested in these projects.

In Maine, the Lewiston-Auburn Railroad Company has been selected to receive a Rural Business Enterprise Grant in the amount of $200,000. Grant funds will be used to preserve and renovate an historic building, the Grand Trunk Depot Building, built in 1899. Once completed, the building will be used for a restaurant and tourist attraction, creating much needed employment in the area.

USDA Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel said, “This is a valuable project for Lewiston that will preserve a historic site while creating jobs and supporting the local economy. I am delighted USDA Rural Development could help make these renovations possible while giving a 19^th century building a new life and new purpose that will add to one of Maine’s most dynamic areas.”

“These funds will go a long way in helping with retrofitting this historic building, and will be used for utility improvements, lead abatement, and window repairs, among other needs,” said Bob Thorpe, President, Lewiston-Auburn Railroad Company.  The total budget for renovations of the depot is about $300,000.

“This important investment is consistent with Lewiston-Auburn’s ongoing efforts to make downtown more of a viable destination and enhances our growing cadre of dining and recreation options,” added Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council President Lucien Gosselin.  The Growth Council staffs the railroad.

The funding announced today is being provided by the Recovery Act through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program (RBEG), which helps finance new and existing businesses as well as employment-related adult education programs. RBEG funds can be used for start-up and working capital loans, building and plant renovations, transportation improvements, project planning and other business needs. Additional information on the RBEG program may be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/rbeg.htm.

Funding of individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the terms of their grant agreement. More information about USDA Rural Development can be found at www.rurdev.usda.gov.

USDA Rural Development has Area Offices located in Presque Isle, Bangor, Lewiston, and Scarborough, as well as a State Office, located in Bangor. There are 83 employees working to deliver the agency’s Housing, Business, and Community Programs, which are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, and farmers, and improve the quality of life in rural Maine. In Fiscal Year 2009, USDA Rural Development invested over $420 million in the state of Maine. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA Rural Development’s web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/me.

###

The cover of the Nov. 16 Mainebiz.

(LEWISTON) — In its November 16 issue, Mainebiz featured a cover story on the Foreign Trade Zone and its importance in establishing the area as a distribution and logistics hub. The article ran as part of the publication’s annual focus on Lewiston-Auburn.

The story described the success that the Growth Council recently experienced in activating the zone with two dedicated users, Safe Handling and LynxUS. Both companies are located in Auburn and provide warehousing as well as tranportation and distribution services.

To read the complete story, click FTZ Mainebiz scan.

A truck arrives at Safe Handling's Auburn location.

(LEWISTON) — Two Auburn-based companies, LynxUS and Safe Handling, Inc., recently received approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to be activated users of Auburn’s General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone 263.

The federal approval means that both companies are allowed designated space in their warehouse operations to accommodate clients who wish to store imported materials or products to take advantage of FTZ benefits.

An FTZ allows companies to defer paying duties on imported goods until they are sold domestically. If the product is exported, or shipped to another FTZ for storage or additional assembly to be exported, the tariff is eliminated altogether. Moreover, an FTZ user can warehouse raw materials or components, assemble, finish, or otherwise add value to the goods, and usually pay lower tariffs compared to the tariff rate prior to alteration.

A 760-acre parcel of land in Auburn was designated a General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone in 2004, allowing qualifying companies to save money conducting international trade by either eliminating, reducing, or deferring the payment of tariffs.

Bisson and LynxUS share a warehouse in the Auburn Industrial Park. LynxUS recently received approval to use Auburn's FTZ for its clients.

Created by the Federal Government in the 1930s, a Foreign Trade Zone facilitates trade and increases the global competitiveness of U.S.-based companies. According to the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones, a Foreign-Trade Zone is an area within the United States that the federal government considers outside the U.S. Customs territory. Certain types of merchandise can be imported into a Zone without going through formal Customs entry procedures or paying import duties.

“It’s taken some time for businesses to familiarize themselves with the concept of a foreign trade zone, because very few Maine companies have traditionally used them,” says Economic Development Specialist George M. Dycio, who markets the FTZ for the Growth Council. “We’re grateful that two of the area’s prominent distribution and logistics service providers are now offering clients the benefits of using the FTZ on a small scale at their facilities.

Safe Handling, Inc. is a full-service, bulk product transportation and toll processing company. It operates the largest rail-to-truck transloading facilities in New England and Western Pennsylvania. In addition, the company has ISO 9001:2000-certified manufacturing facilities where liquid chemicals can be blended and hydrated for regional deliveries. The company handles a billion pounds of products a year.

LynxUS, LLC is a warehousing and paper converting company focused on meeting the needs of regional and national retailers, non-perishable food manufacturers, paper producers and suppliers, and other businesses. Either directly or through its parent company, Bisson Transportation, Inc., LynxUS provides transportation, logistics, warehousing, and distribution services including drayage, rail car loading, light assembly, and pulp and paper converting services.

Effective October 2, 2009, Bisson Transportation sold its LynxUS warehousing and converting operations (but not its transportation and logistics business) to NEPW Logistics, Inc.  NEPW is a well established operator of public warehouses, primarily serving Maine’s pulp and paper industry. NEPW Logistics intends to work with the appropriate state and federal authorities to assume LynxUS’s FTZ operator rights for the former LynxUS warehouse.

The Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council is the central economic development agency serving Lewiston and Auburn, Maine.  It is a nonprofit public/private partnership that assists emerging and expanding businesses in Lewiston-Auburn.  The Growth Council fosters a business environment that enhances job opportunities, stimulates local investment, and broadens the local tax base. 

For more information about Auburn’s General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone and how companies can avail themselves of FTZ benefits, contact Dycio at 784-0161.

–30–

Citizens Commission on Lewiston-Auburn Cooperation Website

The Citizens Commission on Lewiston-Auburn Cooperation approved and released its final report summarizing its work at a meeting on August 27, 2009. The Commission has been working since November of 2006 on finding ways for both cities of Lewiston and Auburn to “implement combining municipal services to save taxpayers money and to improve services.”

Areas ranging from fire and police to assessing and public works were examined during the multi-year project, funded in part with about $163,000 in state grants.

The Commission, which served as an advisory board to the city councils, is the successor to the Lewiston-Auburn Commission on Joint Services, which issued its final report to the mayors and city councils of Lewiston and Auburn in February of 2006.

The Citizens Commission identified savings of about $2.7 million per year within five years of consolidating various municipal services, excluding school system services.

To access the report, click on FINAL CITIZENS COMMISSION REPORT 8 – 09

Maine Democratic Party Chair John Knutson

The Maine Democratic Party has selected the City of Lewiston’s Androscoggin Bank Colisee as the site of the 2009 Maine Democratic Convention, slated for May 21-22, 2010.

The Colisee, formerly the Central Maine Civic Center, has undergone substantial renovations over the past several years, and now attracts a number of special events in addition to serving as the home of the Lewiston MAINEiacs hockey team.

According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, the last time the convention was held in Lewiston was in 1984. Conventions typically attract between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees, and offer a chance for gubernatorial candidates to speak to party members about their issues prior to the June primary.

Gov. John Baldacci will be barred from seeking a third term as Maine governor due to term limits.