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Manufacturing has always played a significant and vital role in
the rural Maine economy. However, during the last several
decades, literally thousands of manufacturing jobs have been eliminated
by foreign competition alone, decimating many interdependent
communities and economies, and a traditional way of life. CEI
views the manufacturing sector as vital to Maine's economy, and
continues to support expansion and workforce training for
precision manufacturing industries. Today, as well as in the
future, CEI will support businesses that rise to the challenge of
integrating modern technologies, manufacturing and management
processes that are necessary to successfully compete in the
expanding global marketplace.
Below are links to Manufacturing Sector initiatives
FAST, LCC, 2004-2006 Progressive Alliance for Careers and Training (PACT) Project (2002-2004) PIONEER Project (1994-1997) SOAR Project (1991-1994)
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AM Wood Designs LLC - Finding the Right Help |
In Bingham, Maine, population 856, the forest products industry used to
be the major source of employment. But over the past two decades, the
community has seen jobs go oversees or vanish altogether. When Richard
Casey lost his job, he wanted to stay in Bingham, his home for
twenty-five years. 
In 2000, when he began looking for funds to start his own unfinished
pine furniture company, CEI was there to help pull together a loan
package with local banks and other economic development agencies.Casey
converted a vacant mill into a manufacturing plant, purchased equipment
and began operating. Later, when AM Wood Designs began to struggle with
low margins and inefficient production, CEI's PACT project helped pay
for extensive training in lean manufacturing. The training helped Casey
realize he'd have to remake the company in order to survive.
The Maine Small Business Development Center at CEI helped
Casey plan for change and better his chances of finding an investor. It
took three years, some hard choices, and the efforts of many, but AM
Wood Designs is turning around. Casey found Anania and Associates which
made major investments in operations and marketing. They dropped
unprofitable lines, added higher margin products, and are doing more
with the same number of employees. Now AM Wood Designs boasts a line of
charming cedar gazebos.
"Without PACT and CEI, we wouldn't be here", says Casey. At
every turn, CEI was there with the right resources - capital, training
grants, and management assistance.
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Kennebec and Somerset Counties |
In Kennebec and Somerset Counties, CEI has been involved with two major
federally-funded projects that have leveraged workforce and economic
development resources and resulted in new jobs, improved child care and
small businesses in these economically fragile rural communities.
Under CEI's leadership, with support from the Department of Labor, PACT
(Progressive Alliance for Careers and Training) developed a
comprehensive approach to workforce retraining that trained 130
dislocated workers and nearly 250 incumbent workers in the health care,
manufacturing, and information technology industries. Through the
Kennebec/Somerset ACCESS Early Learning Opportunities Grant, CEI has
been a partner in a collaborative that aims to improve the quality and
quantity of child care throughout the two counties.
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Maine Legislature Passes Model Anti-Predatory Lending Bill.