Staff Writer
The annual business meeting of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry was held Wednesday at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Kate Esye, spoke with Maurice Dube, SBA district director, following the annual business meeting of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held last week at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. Esye has plans to open the Van Buren Road Lodge May 1.
Guest speaker for the breakfast meeting was Maurice L. Dube, district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration, Maine office.
Approximately 40 people attended the meeting led by Caribou CC&I Director, Wendy Landes.
Following the treasury report, a review of the 2007 financial statement of activities was given by Landes and also a review of of last year’s events and a scope of the work ahead planned for 2008.
Landes stated that with 1,200 chamber members county-wide, the Caribou Chamber of Commerce & Industry is the anchor and is also the best in the state regarding loan portfolios.
Landes also re-enforced that plans were under way for developing more activity at the Light Industrial Park by this summer.
Highlighting the advantages of being a member of the CCC&I, Landes stated with small business struggling being a member of the chamber allows for access to SCORE and Maine Department of Economic and Community Development incentive resources and informational materials, access to the Maine State Chamber insurance program and having business information listed by category in the Caribou Map and Guide, which is distributed in all visitor’s centers in Maine and included in all information packets.
Also available to chamber of commerce members are workshops and business development opportunities sent directly to them by e-mail memos. Members also have the option to have the chamber be their representative at Aroostook County Tourism and Aroostook Area Chambers of Commerce meetings.
Guest Speaker, Dube informed those in attendance that small businesses everywhere are in need. The SBA is a federal agency that is available to assist start-up businesses in creating jobs.
Dube noted that the SBA offers loan guarantee programs and while the special needs of each business are different and always changing, the SBA is capable of conforming to these needs in order to help each business become successful and strive.
“We work very closely with USDA and FAME helping the individuals in search of assistance to find the program that best fits the needs of the company,” he said.
Dube spoke to the group of the benefits of technology support, a program that offers assistance through SCORE, volunteer, manned support. This program is made up of mostly retired individuals who have gone through counseling and training to help direct persons to the right answers for their business questions.
“The group is a very important link to businesses looking for help,” said Dube.
He added, “I would hope the chapter in Caribou will be reactivated.”
In his closing remarks, Dube said, “The mistakes in business, made by a hairdresser and those by a manufacturing business are exactly the same as they bring the same results.”
Dube used this comparison to urge local businesses to talk to each other and compare their successes as well as their failures.
