Mainebiz event to honor 2018 Business Leaders of the Year

Mainebiz plans to host a reception Thursday to honor its 2018 Mainebiz Business Leaders of the Year, according to the magazine.

Every year the magazine recognizes three business leaders for having demonstrated significant accomplishments, having acted in a socially responsible manner, and having been innovative and creative in business. Honorees are considered under three categories: large company (50 employees or more), entrepreneur/small company and nonprofit.

This year’s honorees are Joshua Broder, CEO of Tilson, large company business leader; Kathie Leonard, president and CEO of Auburn Manufacturing Inc., small company business leader; and Steve Levesque, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, nonprofit business leader.

The awards ceremony also is intended to be a chance for face-to-face networking with past and present honorees as well as other business executives.

The Business Leaders of the Year reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Portland Country Club in Falmouth. Tickets cost $45. The recognition program is sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental, People’s United Bank, and Verrill Dana LLP.

To register and to learn more information about the event and past honorees visit www.mainebiz.biz/bloy

To view the 2018 Business Leaders of the Year profiles, see www.mainebiz.biz/CURRENTEDITION.

First Maine Women’s Conference aims to inspire, empower attendees

The Maine Women’s Conference, scheduled for May 9 in Portland, offers keynote speakers, exhibitions and breakout sessions for what is billed as its inaugural year.

The event is being held at Holiday Inn By The Bay.

Created with an underlying mission of connecting, educating, inspiring and empowering women, the conference has a goal of providing an interactive and collaborative event where women can gain insight and guidance in topics relating to their professional and personal development.

Combining the benefits of an all-female networking event with the educational value of keynote speakers Caroline Paul and Maysoon Zayid, the conference hopes to inspire with personal stories filled with observations and advice for overcoming challenges and achieving success.

Twelve interactive breakout sessions will serve as a platform for discussions with female business owners, addressing common questions and sharing their insight and real-world experiences. The conference will also host two panels discussions in partnership with its media partners, the Portland Press Herald and the Maine Media Collective.

For more information about the Maine Women’s Conference, visit www.themainewomensconference.org or contact info@themainewomensconference.org.

Cigaret Shopper’s new store schedules open house

The Cigaret Shopper at 338 Madison Ave. in Skowhegan will have a grand opening at its newest store from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

The event will feature glass blowing demonstrations, raffles and more, according to the Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce.

American Academy of Osteopathy inaugurates Kimball as president

Dr. Catherine M. Kimball, Inland Hospital’s chief of staff and family physician with Inland Family Care in Waterville, was inaugurated March 24 as the 2018-19 president of the American Academy of Osteopathy during the academy’s annual convocation in Dallas, according to the hospital.

Before becoming president, Kimball was president-elect of the AAO, the nation’s largest medical society devoted to fostering neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Kimball has been a primary care doctor in Waterville for more than 30 years. In addition to her family medicine practice, she provides osteopathic manipulative medicine consultation for a range of problems including headache, newborn feeding difficulties, ear infections and back pain.

She has been Inland’s of staff since 2012, served on the Inland board of trustees for many years, and served on various committees. In addition, Dr. Kimball was engaged in Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems’ Leadership Reinvented initiative, which focuses on streamlining processes to increase care and efficiency.

Kimball is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the Osteopathic Cranial Academy, and the Maine Osteopathic Association, in addition to the AAO. She has served on the AAO’s Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, and she previously served on the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine.

Tractor Supply Co. breaks ground for store in Palmyra

Tractor Supply Co. began construction last week of a retail store at 1560 Main St. in Palmyra, with a goal of opening this fall, according to the company.

The company plans to hire 12 to 15 employees with firsthand knowledge and expertise in caring for pets, livestock and land.

It expects to stock the store with workwear and boots, tractor and trailer parts and accessories, lawn and garden supplies, sprinkler and irrigation parts, power tools, fencing, welding and pump supplies, riding mowers, and related items.

The company said the Tractor Supply team also will seek to support pet adoption initiatives, area 4-H clubs and FFA chapters, county fairs, and livestock shows.

The developer, Lisciotti Development Corp., enlisted Benchmark Construction to build the 19,097-square-foot retail space. The store plans include a sales floor, an external support service area and a pet wash station.

The store opening, which is expected to occur in the fall, will kick off with a four-day grand opening celebration.

Local school receives donation from Hannaford program

The Gardiner Hannaford Supermarket recently presented Gardiner Area High School in Gardiner with a $1,000 check through the Hannaford Helps Schools program, according to the company.

The money will be used for the school’s Project Graduation as well as involvement in a Fitness Fair Event.

In its 18th year, Hannaford Helps Schools raised $968,933 for more than 1,500 schools. Schools in each community that raised the most money also received an additional $1,000, bringing the total raised during the 2016-2017 school year campaign to $1,163,933.

Under the program, customers received three “school dollars” — equivalent to cash — for every four participating products purchased. Since its inception, Hannaford Helps Schools has raised $11.5 million for schools in New England and New York.

Compiled from contributed releases