Gov. Paul LePage recognized five Maine companies for excellence during an award ceremony Wednesday in Augusta.

LePage said the businesses all demonstrate a high level of commitment to their communities and employees and excellence in manufacturing or providing services, a news release said. The companies are:

n Enercon Technologies of Gray. The company provides electromechanical product development and contract manufacturing services to the medical, industrial and defense markets. A privately held, veteran-owned company since 1980, Enercon employs nearly 200 people.

n Howe and Howe Technologies of Waterboro. A company that specializes in the fabrication and design of extreme vehicles, it has produced innovative vehicles for the military, and more recently created extreme fire trucks, unmanned firefighting robots, and off-road tracked wheelchairs.

n Main-Land Development Consultants Inc. of Livermore Falls. The company provides engineering, land surveying and environmental sciences services to landowners and municipalities. Founded in 1974, its goal is to help people protect and add value to their land.

n Sappi North America of Westbrook and Skowhegan. Headquartered in Boston with over 2,000 employees and three mills in Maine and Minnesota, Sappi is a market leader in converting wood fiber into a wide range of products sold worldwide. In 2016, the Sappi Somerset Mill upgraded operations to make high-quality consumer-based packaging as well as coated graphics and invested more than $200 million in its Maine facilities.

n Sea Bags of Portland. Using recycled sails, Sea Bags makes totes, bags, home goods and accessories. The company has grown from three employees in 2006 to more than 140 with 18 retail locations up and down the East Coast, and saved more than 600 tons of sail cloth from landfills.

“The businesses honored today are dedicated to quality workmanship, maintaining a loyal and dedicated workforce and giving back to the community,” LePage said. “I thank each of them for doing business in our state and for setting the bar high.”

Since 1991, 157 companies have received the Governors Award for Business Excellence.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.