Louis Waterhouse, founder of LAW Calibration of Saco, learned his craft in the US Air Force, and founded his growing company right here in Maine. Starting out in his basement, he began calibrating torque wrenches – the kind make sure the wheels don’t fall off school buses. Now, he leads a team of nine that service the paper and high technology industry across the northeast. Plus the school buses.
Kay Aikin is CEO of Introspective Systems, a developer of electrical grid management software based in Portland, Maine. The company takes on complex systems and makes them simpler. Somewhere between the internet of things and artificial intelligence, there is an immense opportunity to reduce costs and gain efficiency in electrical systems, communications, medicine, and smart homes. And just about everything else.
This is clearly an immense opportunity. What is not immediately obvious is that Introspective Systems doesn’t seek to take on those complex problems themselves, but rather to build the systems that let others do it. It’s like running the trading post at the gold rush.
If this topic is for you, Introspective Systems is convening a series of artificial intelligence and cutting edge software tech get togethers called ‘Edge Talk’. Kay and others will lead the discussion. The next Edge Talk, “AI is the New Bacon” will explore differences between general and specific artificial intelligence applications and some of the many ways it can be used to solve complex problems in business. The event will take place on May 15 at noon. For information and to register click here.
Howard Mansfield is an American author who writes about history, preservation, and architecture. He has a particular understanding of what makes a house a home, and a town a community. Learn more about Howard at howardmansfield.com and purchase his books on Amazon.
You can ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 423-8260.
Adam is a social innovator and cultural architect. His life and work is dedicated to living well in this place with others. He creates spaces – physical and programmatic – that raise the level of resilience, and improve communication in communities. Adam made a big leap by launching TEDxDirigo in 2010 and hasn’t stopped since, also producing MaineLive and other events in conjunction with his nonprofit Treehouse Institute.
Listen to the episode for an offercode to register for TEDxDirigo RISE coming up on Saturday November 4, and take a look here for guides to creating comfortable spaces for challenging conversations.
Luke Shorty is a remarkable Maine entrepreneur. As the leader of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone Maine, he’s made the moves to grow the school and enhance and expand its mission and role in the community. Luke is also a longtime fan and supporter of podcasts, including The Grow Maine Show, and I really appreciate his encouragement over the years. I actually left a little bit of our pre-show chat in the episode, since I thought it was kind of fun review of Maine podcasts, so we started with that. Here are the podcasts we mention:
Relentlessly positive and known for his work all over the state, Luke Shorty has the kind of upbeat attitude that you just can’t get enough of. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did!
A little self-aggrandizing here, since I’m a chemical engineer myself, but I very much enjoyed this talk by Charles “Chuck” Lawton, well known newspaper columnist and consulting economist. The take is that engineers create jobs, and moving engineers into the Maine workforce is a good thing.
This episode was a lot of fun to do, with a discussion of both business in Maine and adapting the workplace to the needs of employees. Derek and the entire company have remained leaders in this area and are to be commended for it.
Of note is that Derek’s son Dielawn Volk is now offering autism coaching services. This is a brand new, and I think very innovative service. It’s suitable for both prospective employees or for prospective employers. An initial 1/2 hour consult is free. You can get started here, at the YouTube Channel.
As you may have figured out by now, I just tool around with my Zoom H4N hooking it to soundboards and if I get something good, I publish it here. And I think I got something good this time, especially if you’re a supply chain wonk like me. (I also do in-person interviews with Maine entrepreneurs).
Anyway… there is much that is interesting in the concept of getting food to market, especially a just-in-time item like broccoli florets. And Bill Dubay, former CEO of Curran Co. (and current CEO of Baxter Brewing) is an expert on getting food to market. With more than 100 employees and located in the Biddeford Industrial Park, this is a dynamic business that outperforms those with longer supply chains, by providing quicker service that reduces supermarket’s costs.
Thank you to the Maine Real Estate and Development Association for allowing me to record this talk. If you own or are looking to own (or lease) commercial real estate, you should get involved with them.
It’s so refreshing to hear from Jon Gosier, TED fellow, tech entrepreneur and keynoter at Maine Startup & Create Week. He’s a very amusing, engaging Philadelphia-based entrepreneur, and we have Jess Knox and the MSCW team to thank for bringing him to town.
Also: for the first time, the Grow Maine Show has a sponsor. It’s called Hellocycle, and it’s actually my company. It’s a subscription by mail recycling service. If you’ve ever thrown a battery in the trash and wondered if it was the right thing to do, or spent time doing errands to return a burnt out twisty-light-bulb to the hardware store, you need us. I’m looking for 25 beta testers to try the service out for free, using offer code Hello. Would you consider signing up?
