Nichole and Leon Sargent, Owners of Southpaw Packing dba Windham Butcher Shop. Photo: Coastal Enterprises, Inc. February 23, 2021 (Brunswick, ME) – Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) today announced the names of the six Maine food companies selected for the 2021 Tastemakers Initiative: Bristol Seafood in Portland, Luke’s Lobster in Saco & Portland, Good to Go in Kittery, Maine Crisp Company in Winslow, Ocean’s Balance in Biddeford and Southpaw Packing dba Windham Butcher Shop in Windham. The selected companies will receive specialized consulting and investor networking opportunities. This is the fourth year of the Tastemakers Initiative, part of an ongoing partnership between CEI and FocusMaine to support the growth of Maine’s food economy.
Category: Press Release
Maine Business and Higher Education Leaders Announce New Compact on Immigration
CONTACT:Beth Stickney, Esq., Executive Director of the Maine Business Immigration Coalition (MeBIC)
Woodforest National Bank Named 2020 BAI Global Innovation Awards Finalist for Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Feb. 4, 2021 — Woodforest National Bank® (Woodforest) is selected as a finalist in the Societal & Community Impact Innovation category for the 2020 BAI Global Innovation Awards, a prestigious awards program recognizing financial services organizations that have gone beyond the conventional to bring creative ideas to life, especially during a time of unprecedented change.
Historic Hotel Reopens in Selma, Alabama with Investment from Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund
THE WOODLANDS, TX / January 26, 2021 / The Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund, a high-impact commercial real estate Opportunity Zone fund established by Woodforest National Bank® and CEI-Boulos Capital Management, announced its $2 million equity investment in the redevelopment of the historic, long-shuttered St. James Hotel in Selma, Alabama. The St. James Hotel, the only hotel in downtown Selma, will support the city’s growing civil rights tourism industry and help revitalize the local economy, creating 45 permanent jobs with training, health insurance and other benefits (42 of these jobs will be accessible to people with low incomes). The Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund is the only outside investor in the redevelopment project, spearheaded by Birmingham-based Rhaglan Hospitality, which renovated and expanded the iconic St. James Hotel into a boutique 55-key, Hilton™ Tapestry, full-service hotel.
Applications Now Open for Year Two of CEI’s Child Care Business Lab
Applications Due on February 5 for Entrepreneurs Interested in Launching New Child Care Businesses in the Rim Counties or Lewiston
New Recipe Cookbook for Maine Farmed Sea Scallops
December 17, 2020 (Stonington, Maine) – “Farmed sea scallops from Maine.” That has a nice ring to it and now consumers will have some expert culinary guidance on how to prepare these delicious shellfish. Recipe Ideas for Farmed Sea Scallops. The Whole Story is a new cookbook released today co-authored by local fisherman Marsden Brewer and natural history writer Marnie Reed Crowell, both Stonington residents. CEI announced the release of the publication as part of a three-year initiative funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to further develop scallop farming efforts in the state of Maine.
CEI’s 2020 Impact: Helping Business Stay Open while Creating or Saving 600+ Jobs
December 2, 2020 – Brunswick, Maine — Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) today reported its 2020 impact, a look at how its combined economic development tools—financing, business advice, financial coaching, and policy advocacy—helped to keep small businesses, families and local communities strong in the face of unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic and economic downturn.
Portland Restaurants Receive $50,000 in Grant Funding to Help Prepare for Winter During the Pandemic
(Clockwise from top left) 1st photo: Sarah Guerette and Anna Ackerman of the CEI Women’s Business Center; Mary Allen Lindeman co-owner Coffee by Design, Dana Myles, Regional Vice President, Team Leader At Norway Savings Bank. 2nd photo: Amanda O’Brien, owner eighteen twenty wines. 3rd photo. Isaac MacDougal, owner, Cocktail Mary. 4th photo: Dana Myles, Lee Farrington and Bryna Gootkind, co-owners, LB Kitchen, and Sarah Guerette. November 16, 2020 (Brunswick, ME)—Thanks to a collaboration between The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Boston, Norway Savings Bank, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) and Community Concepts, business owners impacted by COVID-19 received grant funding to help them survive the winter. The funds were distributed by FHLB Boston to Norway Savings as part of their Jobs for New England (JNE) Recovery Grant Programs. CEI and Community Concepts received $50,000 each to deploy through competitive application processes.
CEI Receives $3.3 Million EDA Award for Revolving Loan Fund to Meet the Immediate and Long-Term Economic Development Needs of Small Businesses in Maine’s Coastal Counties
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