Sector Spotlights events feature industry leaders who will share the latest in innovation and collaboration, while providing partnership opportunities through in-person connections.
Lunch & Learn
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Sea Dog Brewing Co., 26 Front Street, Bangor, ME
Members-only event / No cost / Lunch provided
Event Schedule
11:30 – Networking
12:00 – Panel Discussion
12:45 – Q&A
1:00 – Networking
SPONSORED BY
From Trees to Global Tech Hub: Forest Products in the Age of Biotechnology
Maine’s Federally designated Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Global Technology Hub embodies the rich legacy of talent, innovation, and infrastructure, poised to drive US leadership in the 21st-century clean technology economy. Through active collaboration among over 70 public and private sector entities, including the Maine Technology Institute and Governor Mills’ Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, alongside other significant investments, this initiative seeks to propel the development and commercialization of bioproduct technologies, fostering economic growth, job creation, and rural revitalization. Over the next decade, the Tech Hub’s ambitious agenda targets the displacement of conventional product lines with bioproduct alternatives, spanning plastic packaging, building materials, and petrochemicals. Through strategic investments in technological maturation, entrepreneurship, workforce development, smart manufacturing, and global partnerships, Maine’s initiative not only promises to position the US at the forefront of the emerging bioeconomy but also to catalyze sustainable economic development within the state.
Networking
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
4:30 – 6:30 PM (Tour begins at 3:00 PM)
Brickyard Hollow, 123 Madison Avenue, Skowhegan, ME
MITC members $10 / Non-members $25
Event Schedule
3:00-4:00 – Tour
TimberHP – Madison Facility, 1 Main Street, Madison, ME
TimberHP manufactures high-performing wood fiber insulation that is healthy for people and the planet. Made with renewable resources, our products are resistant to moisture liabilities, mold and fire, and offer superior properties to reduce heating and cooling loads. Tried and trusted, wood fiber insulation is cost-competitive and has been manufactured and used in Europe for decades.
Our products begin in the abundant Northern Forest, where we source Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified small diameter pulp trees and residual wood chips. Manufactured domestically at our factory in Maine, TimberHP supports the working landscape, sustainable forestry, and our rural economy.
From a mothballed paper mill in Madison, Maine with a team of likeminded entrepreneurs, TimberHP is the first North American producer of wood fiber insulation in the USA.
Space is limited for up to 40 people on the tour. No photography or bags allowed beyond the lobby. Tour attendees should wear close-toed shoes. Hard hats and safety glasses will be provided for all tour attendees.
4:30-6:30 – Networking Reception
Brickyard Hollow, 123 Madison Avenue, Skowhegan, ME
Hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
Meet Our Lunch & Learn Panelists
James J. Beaupré, Ph.D., Director of Industrial Cooperation for the University of Maine
James J. Beaupré, Ph.D., is the Director of Industrial Cooperation for the University of Maine. In this role, he develops and coordinates strategic partnerships between the university and organizations and individuals throughout Maine and the world. James’ mission is to connect external partners with university resources to solve problems, support commercialization of UMaine research, and advance economic development in Maine. He works closely with a range of constituents, including companies, trade organizations, nonprofits, and communities.
James joined the Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement in 2011. He previously served as the university’s Innovation Engineer and was responsible for creating, communicating, and commercializing meaningfully unique ideas for UMaine. James also taught courses in Innovation Engineering and Chemical Engineering. Originally from Madawaska, his scientific background is in paper making processes (specifically water removal), and he is a patented inventor in the field. James has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine (2007) and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine (2012).
Scott Dionne, President & CEO at Aroostook Partnership; former Chief Marketing Officer for TimberHP
Scott Dionne grew up among the fields and forests of Aroostook County and began working in the lumber and building materials industry while still in high school. After graduating from Caribou High School in 1997, he went on to become a Rufus Choate Scholar at Dartmouth College where he studied English literature and environmental science. In 2007, Scott returned to Aroostook County in the role of branch manager for S.W. Collins Company, a sixth-generation independent building material retailer and millwork producer. He was promoted to Vice President of Operations in 2013.
In 2020, Scott joined GO Lab, Inc. in their effort to retrofit the shuttered UPM papermill in Madison, Maine. Working alongside a small, like-minded group, as Chief Marketing Officer Scott helped build the capital stack, business plan, and sales and marketing strategy that led to the creation of TimberHP, North America’s first dry-process wood fiber insulation manufacturing company.
In April 2024, Scott joined Aroostook Partnership as President and CEO where he focuses on bringing together the voices and horsepower of business and community leaders in Maine’s largest wood basket to grow the economy of Northern Maine while preserving the authentic lifestyle of the region.
Scott remains an equity holder and business consultant for TimberHP.
Scott Kleiman, Policy Director, Economy and Workforce, for the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
Scott Kleiman is Policy Director, Economy and Workforce, for the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. He provides interagency leadership for Governor Mills on workforce development, regional innovation, and Maine’s long-term economic prosperity. Prior to joining Governor Mills’ administration, Scott was Managing Director at the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab, where he helped state health and human service agencies design, implement, and sustain critical reforms.
Scott previously led strategic projects in the CEO’s office at Ceres, a national nonprofit organization partnering with investors to strengthen corporate sustainability practices, and analyzed municipal infrastructure investments at Bain & Company. He was appointed a Senior Fellow with Casey Family Programs and served on the Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence advisory committee for Results for America. Scott earned an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in Political Science.