Maine has hottest business locations in Northeast

Downtown Biddeford-Saco was a hot market in 2012, but it's even hotter now.Last year I facilitated a meeting of two of the best “idea guys” I know --- Angus King and Doug Sanford. You can watch the creative energy sparking between these two in this video.

Keep in mind, I took the video when Angus was a candidate, and when the Maine Energy incinerator was still burning garbage in the middle of downtown Biddeford-Saco. Now U.S. Senator Angus King represents Maine in Washington, D.C. and MERC has closed. You see the optimism of these two just one year ago. Can you imagine how bullish they are now on the future of Biddeford-Saco?

Why were Doug and Angus so animated? Because they knew what the future would bring. Keep an eye on the Pepperell Mill Campus and The Offices At Saco Island. In the next 5 years, no business market in the northeast United States will be hotter than downtown Biddeford-Saco.

A Saturday surprise in Saco, Maine

Revitalization in downtown Biddeford-Saco is no longer a theory --- it's happening.Last year I did some work for Doug Sanford and the Pepperell Mill Campus. Every time I set foot in the place, I was amazed by the overwhelming aura of energy and optimism, and the unavoidable sense that the future is extremely bright for living and working in downtown Biddeford. And if I didn’t stop by for a few weeks for some reason, there was always something new to take in the next time I visited.

I had seen some of that in Saco in the last year or so, but the energy wasn’t as intense. Not as entrepreneurial.

That changed on Saturday, when my wife and I went to get some video with Conor Beliveau at the Saco River Winter Market. I confess that the market had not made it onto my radar screen yet; I was only vaguely aware of its existence.

But I woke up from my slumber. WOW --- that very same energy Doug has going over in Biddeford was in the air, a vibrant hustle and bustle, and an incredible selection of great products from local farmers, artisans and craftspeople. I was really very impressed, and so was my wife. She picked up some outstanding Mahi Mahi, which grilled up very tastily that evening. If you’re big on local and fresh, and if you haven’t been to the market yet, take a peek --- here’s the video I shot with Conor. The market is open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday morning.

Follow this Maine company, learn PR secrets

WATCH VIDEO to find out how I’m combining traditional PR techniques with “inbound” public relations techniques.Dirigo Capital Advisors is a new commercial real estate company based Portland, Maine. It specializes in imaginative but complex redevelopment projects at iconic properties in the northeast United States.

I’m working with Dirigo to implement cutting edge public relations techniques that, in my opinion, other real estate companies don’t have the wherewithal and chutzpah to match. In this video, I explain how we first put basic professional tools in place, and how Dirigo and I will now proceed to implement an “inbound marketing” model. We put a heavy emphasis on using video in blog entries. No other real estate company that I know about is using this groundbreaking model, and in my opinion, it will be years before the competition catches up. For that matter, precious few of my competitors in the advertising and public relations business are up to speed on these concepts.

Keep an eye on how this company uses its blog to promote itself. Dirigo is already seeing results. A few weeks ago the Kennebec Journal wrote a story about the company’s use of video. A member of the Augusta city council called the video “a case study in how to explain a TIF.” And then the city council approved the TIF that the company had been seeking, by a unanimous vote, as reported by the Kennebec Journal.

When newspapers write stories about your fresh marketing ideas, you know you’re on to something good.

ALERT to residents of Augusta, Maine

Should the MaineGeneral building be re-developed and pay taxes, or just torn down? The Augusta City Council makes the decision tomorrow night, February 21, 2013.I just noticed this on my Facebook page, and thought I would alert folks in my network. The Augusta East Redevlopment Corporation is proposing to redevelop property currently owned by MaineGeneral Health, which does not pay taxes to the City of Augusta. Apparently an important City Council meeting is taking place tomorrow night in Augusta. Here's the text of the message from Augusta East:

"MaineGeneral property in downtown Augusta doesn’t pay taxes to the City of Augusta. A proposal to transform that property into a significant taxpayer (over time) goes before the City Council tomorrow night, Thursday, February 23rd. Have an opinion on this? GREAT! You should go to the meeting tomorrow night and let the Council know exactly how you feel. Here are the documents (http://bit.ly/YaB5XU) so that you can thoroughly immerse yourself in the details. Here is a YouTube video (http://bit.ly/YAMUXj) of the developer discussing the proposal, and here is a recent story (http://bit.ly/W4o2pg) by Kennebec Journal reporter Keith Edwards. If you take the time to study this issue thoroughly, no doubt the Council will listen very carefully to all logical analysis. Informed citizens are what makes democracy work --- thanks for taking the time!"

Don’t let aging infrastructure threaten Maine’s economic future

Photo for Mainebiz by Tim Greenway. Judy Wallingford, president of Maine Water, will oversee infrastructure upgrades in the system that delivers clean drinking water to customers of the Biddeford and Saco Water Company.A few weeks ago, a “catastrophic” water main break in Portland spilled 20,000 gallons of water per minute for 45 minutes near Somerset and York streets. Consider that a warning sign for aging drinking water delivery systems throughout Maine.

I’m now working with Maine Water, a company that recently merged with Biddeford and Saco Water Company (BSWC). Including the customers that BSWC serves in Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough, Maine Water serves 31,500 customers, or a population of 98,000, in various communities throughout the state of Maine. One thing Maine Water has made very clear to me: they are committed to communicating with customers and community leaders.

In this Mainebiz artcle, Maine Water president Judy Wallingford doesn’t pull any punches about what lies ahead. As the recent cold snap reminds us, environmental conditions can be extraordinarily harsh on infrastructure in the northeast United States. That, combined with the sheer age of our water systems, is a recipe for additional catastrophic events, similar to what happened in Portland. According to Mainebiz writer James McCarthy, the Maine chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers says our state has $1 billion in needed water system upgrades over the next 20 years, but has spent only $22 million in the last decade on water infrastructure projects.

To effectively deal with this infrastructure challenge, BSWC knew it needed better access to larger amounts of capital, and that’s why it made a proactive decision to merge with Maine Water. So far I’m very impressed with Maine Water’s open and forthright approach. Northern York County is poised for aggressive growth and economic development, and it’s good to know somebody is paying attention to the infrastructure that will be needed to support it.