AUGUSTA — The Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce handed out awards to local businesses and their owners at its annual awards banquet Friday night at the Augusta Civic Center.

The banquet, which was attended by freshman U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, recognized the award winners following a reception and dinner. More than 900 people attended the full-capacity event.

Augusta-based J.S. McCarthy Printers, named Business of the Year, has replaced 14 printing presses over the last five years with three printers, while still increasing capacity by 30 percent. The company has made around $10 million to $12 million in capital expenditures in the last 12 years for technological investments.

The company brought in $31 million in revenue in 2012 and hopes to grow that to $40 million in five years, according to Rick Tardiff, president and CEO of J.S. McCarthy Printers. It employs 175 people, 145 of whom are in Augusta, and an additional 30 full-time equivalents in temporary employees each year.

Scott Bolduc, 57, owner of Bolduc Technology Group, was named Business Person of the Year. The business, which makes advanced electronic technology, has a manufacturing plant in Gray and a new headquarters and assembly facility in Augusta, and it employs about 110 people. The Augusta facility produces 40 to 50 of the complex’s $50,000 units every month.

Peter E. Prescott, 72, of Manchester, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Prescott, CEO of the Everett J. Prescott Inc., the pipeline company started by his father, was recognized also for building the more-than-$4 million Bank of Maine Ice Vault on the footprint of the former Kennebec Ice Arena he co-founded in 1973, which collapsed in 2011 under a snow burden.

Three also received President’s Awards: Lakeside Motel, Cabins & Marina in Winthrop, owned by Andy and Sheree Wess; The Red Barn in Augusta, owned by Laura Benedict; and O’Connor Auto Group in Augusta, owned by Randy and Teresa Hutchins.

There were also two Community Service Awards — to the Augusta-based Family Violence Project, whose executive director is Deborah Shepherd; and to Mike Seitzinger, 65, of Augusta, who practices health care law at the firm Kozak & Gayer.


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