Great article in the Press Herald today covering the Calendar Islands Maine Lobster Co.'s vertical integration efforts: http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-lobster-moving-out-of-the-pot-into-new-dishes_2011-02-15.html Kudos to the principals for creative thinking in reacting to changing market conditions. Vertical integration isn't an easy strategy, but it beats sticking your head in the sand when...
Things have been so active at Opus recently that I have to admit I don't have any fresh material that isn't confidential. So I'm going to cop-out and post some of my favorite recent blog posts written by others: "Top 10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail" http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/top-10-reasons-small-businesses-fail/ "What Exactly...
We all knew that Borders (BGP) was in financial troubles and it was not really a surprise when Borders’ management announced a few days ago that they had chosen Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, a well-known bankruptcy and restructuring law firm to advise on its...
This blog post from Alemi, a Cornell physics graduate student, had me thinking about the analytical work that we do at Opus: http://thevirtuosi.blogspot.com/2011/01/darts.html After playing darts with a friend, Alemi used statistical analysis to develop a dart-throwing strategy to optimize points while taking into consideration the capabilities...
The Forecaster published an article a few days ago regarding the Town of Freeport's reluctance to fully fund a request by the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce. The article and the town's decision touches on two key areas (cost vs. investment and the importance of...
Great article in the Press Herald yesterday about Renys in advance of their move into the former L. L. Bean Outlet space on Congress Street in Portland. http://www.pressherald.com/business/slow-but-steady_2011-01-02.html First, we are simply thrilled that a vibrant Maine-based business will be filling the void created by L. L. Bean's...
The US Treasury has established the Small Business Lending Fund which aims to deploy $30 billion in capital to community banks with less than $10 billion in assets. The terms of the Fund provide incentives for these banks to use the capital to increase lending...
By now, you probably have heard about MOO Milk. If not, here's the concept. Maine's Own Organic Milk Company was formed to promote farm preservation and economic development in Maine by marketing and distributing 100% Maine organic milk with an effort to preserve and increase the...
One of the fundamental drivers of economic growth is population growth. Contrary to predictions that Maine's population would shrink, the Press Herald reported a few days ago that Maine's population grew by 4.2 percent between the 2000 Census and 2010 Census. http://www.pressherald.com/news/the-maine-count-is-in-population-grew-4_2__2010-12-22.html?searchterm=maine+population That rate outstripped the 3.2 percent growth...
I was blown away by this article in yesterday's New York Times: Science African Huts Far From the Grid Glow With Renewable Power By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL Published: December 24, 2010 As small-scale renewable energy becomes cheaper and more reliable, it is providing the first drops of modern power to people...