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2007 Annual Awards Banquet
Friday, January 26, 2007
Augusta Civic Center Main Auditorium
5:30 p.m. Social Hour & Cash Bar
7:00 p.m. Dinner & Awards Ceremonies
$45 per person/$360 for table of eight
RSVP required - call 207-623-4559
or e-mail info@augustamaine.com
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These businesses and organizations, and the people who provide leadership for them, have a profound effect upon the business environment and the economy in the Capital Area and beyond. They all contribute significantly to the quality of life enjoyed in the Kennebec Valley.
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Business of the Year
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Gagne & Son
Linda M. Gagne-Boucher & Peter Gagne
This local concrete block manufacturer has come a long way from 1945 when granddad
Alfred manufactured 100 blocks a day, one by one. Now grandkids Linda Gagne Boucher
and Peter Gagne produce 18,000 blocks per shift at their modern Belgrade plant.
Their father Albert “Pete” grew the company from 1959 until his death in 1997. Linda
and Peter have since grown Gagne & Son to a new level with annual sales growth at
20 percent. A recent $5 million investment significantly increased manufacturing
capacity. Dad’s “tough training” helped Linda and Peter become successful. Now,
with 100 “great employees,” Gagne successfully makes millions of blocks for buildings
throughout Maine, produces landscaping materials and manages seven retail locations.
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Business Person of the Year
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Mark L. Johnston
Kennebec Savings Bank
Community leadership with a heart. That’s Mark L. Johnston, President & CEO of Kennebec
Savings bank. This Jefferson native, an Augusta area banker since 1975, joined KSB
in 1992 and became president & CEO in 1999. While helping grow the business from
35 to 75 employees and assets from $157 million to $600 million, Mark has held professional
posts such as Chairman of the Maine Assn. of Community Banks. He is also one of
our area’s most generous and notable volunteer leaders: Camp KV, Team Cony, KV YMCA,
Board of Trade, UMA, United Way, Chamber, Alfond Cancer Center, churches, Kiwanis.
Dedicated? Since age14 he’s played organ 40 straight summers at his Jefferson church!
Mark leads KSB with equal dedication.
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Lifetime Achievement Award
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Warren C. Kessler
MaineGeneral Health (retired)
Warren C. Kessler, a Yale grad, Master in Public Health, brought his vision of total
life health care to Augusta in 1972. The young CEO focused on medical staff development
as key to Augusta General’s success. He began Maine Dartmouth Family Practice Residency
(1974) and Alzheimer’s Care Center (1988), both national models.
He merged Augusta
and Gardiner hospitals (1980), added Williams Nursing (1986), Granite Hill (1999)
and other assets under Kennebec Valley Health. In 1997 KVH merged with Mid- Maine
to form MaineGeneral Health, Maine’s third largest hospital. From 1972 to retirement
in 1999, Kessler, a respected community leader, grew the hospital from 38 doctors
to 200, total employment from 500 to 3,500, a budget of $2 million to more than
$250 million.
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President's Awards
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Dave’s Appliance, Inc.
Scott, Mike & Brian Ketchen
Dave (Dad) Ketchen started this Winthrop firm in 1976, two aisles packed with washers,
dryers, ranges and refrigerators stacked with TV sets, a tiny space for Dee (Mom)
to do books. Business grew and in the early 1990’s sons Scott, Mike and Brian joined
their parents and moved to the spacious old Maxim grain store. Dave’s expanded product
lines to meet customer needs and grew its service area to include Augusta, Gardiner,
Sugarloaf, Rangeley, Boothbay Harbor and Camden. Dave and Dee retired in 1999. In
the past decade Dave’s tripled sales to $3 million, now ships in about 200 appliances
a week and, with its staff of 15, makes service its top priority.
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Hallowell Printing Co.
Donald H. Hastings and David L. Banister
The Flood of ‘87 caused $400,000 devastation to this small printing firm but also
triggered a lasting bond between Owner Donald Hastings and his new press operator
David Banister. “We worked 40 days straight to restore our presses while other printers
came to our aid,” they said. Don joined the firm in ’72, purchased and expanded
it in ‘81 and hired David in ’87. The HPC team keeps pace with fast-changing technology
to meet needs of customers from Central Maine to Camden- Rockland – printing books,
brochures, letterhead, posters, annual reports, newsletters, forms and more. In
2006 David became the president and Don serves as chief financial officer.
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The Wolfington Group
Harry J. Wolfington
Harry J. Wolfington of Hallowell turned his auto sales experience into a multimillion-dollar
consulting, training and marketing company that services new car automobile dealerships
nationwide.
The Wolfington Group incorporated in 1999. Since then, the Augusta-based
company has grown from a handful of employees to a company with more than 100 employees
servicing 250 dealerships in 43 states. In 2006 The Wolfington Group will produce
and mail more than 17 million invitations to dealerships, making them one of the
top mailers in the State of Maine and one of the largest automobile marketing companies
in the country.
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Community Service Awards
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Boys & Girls Club of Greater Gardiner
Ingrid Stanchfield
Ingrid L. Stanchfield is justifiably enthusiastic about a project she’s nurtured
since 1996 when Gardiner Recreation started a child care program. Now the BGCGG
owns its own school building and with a staff of 45 provides: child care (6 months
to 5th grade), teen center, fall soccer, youth cheering, girls’ softball, lacrosse,
March Madness, October Madness, wrestling, summer day camps and summer sports camps
to a total of some 1,200 children. In 2006 the nonprofit club purchased the former
Pray Street School for nearly $400,000 and earned its own charter with Boys & Girls
Clubs of America.
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Stephen P. Pecukonis
Kennebec Leadership Institute
KLI is one of Maine’s top leadership programs. Started in 1987 by the Chamber and
UMA, KLI has graduated more than 250 area people, better prepared to lead in their
businesses, volunteer organizations or elective offices. To the grads, Steve Pecukonis
is KLI. An experienced HR specialist and management consultant, Steve won the facilitator
role in 1987 and has provided highly enlightened and enthusiastic teaching for the
four-month training since. KLI provides intensive skills training, experience sessions
with key people, community issues (history, economy, education, media, government,
health care, culture, etc.) and a class project.
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Special Service Award
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Richard J. Randall
The University of Maine at Augusta
Most of Dick’s 40 years with the University of Maine System has been devoted to
shaping the University of Maine at Augusta – first as an instructor and professor,
later as Dean of Student and Educational Services
and for 13 years as Provost and Vice President of Academic affairs.
After a brief retirement in 2001 he returned
to teach part time and in 2005 he resumed administrative duties. The Chancellor
named him Interim President in July of 2005 and full President in July of 2006 after
helping craft a new exciting vision for the Augusta-based University. In 2004 he
was named Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Human Services and granted an Honorary
Doctorate of Humane Letters.
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