AUGUSTA — The Maine State Chamber of Commerce is partnering with a national online news service to spread positive stories about businesses in the state.

Dana Connors, president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, and the head of the company announced the partnership at a press conference this morning outside of J.S. McCarthy Printers.

Connors said he sees the partnership as a way of marketing the state as business friendly and improving consumer confidence.

“We’re ahead of so many states in terms of addressing fundamental issues. They’re ahead of us talking about the good,” Connors said at the press conference. “We lag in that area, and I think it is so fundamental to our economic success that we market the positive.”

The company, JustGOODNews.BIZ, publishes a mix of stores from local and state organizations like the state chamber, as well as summaries of stories pulled from media outlets such as newspapers and TV stations.

The partnership means the Maine State Chamber of Commerce will feature a feed of Maine-based stories on its website and will contribute news to JustGOODNews.BIZ, according to Kris Rush, founder and CEO of the company.

Rush launched the Oklahoma City-based company in May after running a similar program at the State Chamber of Oklahoma, where her husband was president for more than 20 years.

She said she started the company to spread positive business news about local communities to a wider audience.

Connors said an example of the positive news the state chamber wants to publicize is that J.S. McCarthy Printers recently hired 80 full-time seasonal workers for its upcoming greeting card season, more than double the usual 35 workers it hires for the season.

The company also is hiring additional workers at its Darin Drive location.

“That’s exactly what we want the world to know,” Connors said. “That’s what we want Maine to know.”

Paul Koenig — 621-5663
pkoenig@mainetoday.com