U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

MEP Success Stories from Maine

Food Safety System Supports Rapid Domestic Market Expansion

Reported Year
2024
As Chow Maine grew, it became evident that a food safety system would be necessary to meet the requirements of larger supermarket chains and distributors. Owner Chiaolin Korona reached out to Maine MEP, part of the MEP National Network™, to see if there was any support in developing a food safety system to prepare for a third-party audit.

Empowered Team Proactively Refines a Plant's Quality Culture

Reported Year
2024
In 2023, Barrette Outdoor Living engaged with Maine MEP, part of the MEP National Network™, to provide a Principles of Lean training and a three-day kaizen event focused on 5S. At the time, the company was wanting to learn more about lean methodologies and tools to implement action-oriented improvements, while empowering employees to emerge as

Adopting a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Reported Year
2024
In 2018, W. S. Emerson found itself in a challenging position due to the swift emergence of online competitors. The company decided to revamp its approach to employee training, and Vice President Betsy Vickery took the initiative to connect with Bill Whittier of Maine MEP, part of the MEP National Network™. Together, they devised a comprehensive

Leadership Coaching - Vision, Goals, KPIs

Reported Year
2023
The majority of the products Artforms creates are sold in tourist shops and tourist areas, which means that the sales cycle is highly cyclical. Typically Artforms spends the winter and spring seasons producing product for the upcoming summer tourist season; the fall season sees a sharp decline in orders and production slows down significantly. This

Campfire in a Can Experiences Fiery Growth

Reported Year
2023
Veilleux’s original product was a wax and hemp fire starter that burned for 30 minutes. This initial product was a surprise success and Veilleux, a consummate entrepreneur, continued to work on new designs and new product ideas. The idea of a portable fire in a can made from all-natural materials took root and business began to grow. As sales began

Keeping up with the Ocean's Bounty

Reported Year
2022
Atlantic Sea Farms experienced a sharp decline in orders from restaurant and retail accounts hit hard by the pandemic. Despite these challenges, the team remained committed to fulfilling the harvest contracts they had with local fishermen and lobstermen and staying on track with their strategic growth goals. As a result, the 2021 harvest proved too

Investment in equipment spurs growth

Reported Year
2022
During the pandemic, medical product manufacturers in Maine and beyond needed fast, flexible and accurate materials that reflect the constantly-evolving situation. Medical supply companies, pop-up clinics, health care firms and other businesses have needed to be able to print labels, signage, and packaging quickly so that they can get vital

Puritan Steps Up to Keep the Nation Safe

Reported Year
2022
During the pandemic, as demand skyrocketed for COVID-19 testing kits, Puritan was one of only two manufacturers of COVID-19 testing swabs in the world. Puritan was contacted by the White House and asked to increase production to meet the needs of their COVID-19 testing program. This rapid, demand-driven expansion required an immediate increase in

Two Maine Companies Pivot Together

Reported Year
2021
Covid-19 hit Maine’s boatbuilding industry especially hard. While builders had orders to fill they could not reasonably ask their crews to do their normal jobs which require close proximity. This resulted in a complete shutdown of all of Alfred’s OEM clients. This segment of their business provided in excess of 60% of Alfred’s monthly revenue and
Was this page helpful?