Congratulations to the Finalists and Winners!

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Technology Awards

2011 Gazelle Company of the Year: Digital Research

Winner of the 2010 EXPLOR Award, Digital Research is quickly becoming a leader in the field of market research. They are committed to keeping up with current technologies in order to constantly improve a company’s connection to its consumers, thereby helping their clients improve their product and customer service.

Finalists:

Cash Star: Winner of the 2010 Gazelle Company of the Year, CashStar has continued to wow the world of multi-channel payments with its innovative digital gifting and incentives solutions. The platform allows consumers to purchase and send printable gift certificates via email. Their client list includes Williams-Sonoma, Gap, The Cheesecake Factory, and Home Depot, among other national corporations.

Kepware: Kepware has achieved success by focusing hard on their small niche, industrial communications software, and working to build the highest-quality communications software available. As the leading provider of this software, they are well on their way to achieving their goal of becoming the industry standard.

2011 CxO of the Year: Stuart Rich, PenBay Solutions

Stuart Rich’s passion for geographic information services is made obvious by his work with PenBay Solutions and their community. He has worked with the University of Maine Spatial Information Science and Engineering Department and industry organizations like BISDM, for example, while also providing his growing number of employees with the best benefits and educational support.

Finalists:

Michael Ellis, CashStar: As the Chief Financial Officer for CashStar, Michael Ellis has been essential to growing the company from a start-up to a superstar with top talent, customers, and investors. He is deeply committed to his family and his community; his belief in the importance of treating one another well can be seen in the way he pushes to offer better benefits to what he sees as his company’s best resource: its employees.

Michael Swartz, Tilson Technology Management: Michael Swartz is a leader in Maine’s technology community and a catalyst for growth within Tilson, overseeing an increase of over 100% in the first quarter of 2011. He also acts as a dedicated mentor to the less-experienced business leaders at the company.

2011 New Technology of the Year: Biovation's biopolymer product line - Biovation

Biovation’s line of biopolymer products is leading the industry in producing materials like fabrics with built-in infection control for food packaging solutions that allow for the best food safety and quality. Their research is designed to make their biodegradable, sustainable, and renewable product available for a highly customizable range of applications.

Finalists:

Ikno Intranet: iKno’s platform for internal corporate networking is rewiring the way companies do business. By combining capable software with a user-friendly interface, iKno is providing companies with a new way to keep their employees connected to one another to save time and money and increase productivity.

VeinVue - Enercon Technologies: VeinVue is a near-infrared Venous Identification Device that allows medical professionals to see the veins in the body for the purpose of drawing blood, putting in an IV, or other similar procedures. Enercon’s carefully researched design is portable, unlike the typical refrigerator-sized competitors, and has been well received in hospital trials.

2011 Technology Company of the Year: Ocean Renewable Power Company

To achieve their goal of harnessing sustainable energy from tidal forces, Ocean Renewable Power Company has built partnerships with research institutes like the University of Maine and the Maine Maritime Academy. Their work has brought and will continue to bring both jobs and economic benefits to the state as they continue improving on their breakthrough technology to harness one of Maine’s most sustainable resource—the ocean.

Finalists:

Hall Internet Marketing: With over ten years of experience and a strong ongoing relationship with many of their clients, Hall builds internet marketing strategies for several of Maine’s largest employers. Their use of technology to streamline their own workflow has been key in their success as a company with high growth and an excellent reputation.

Maine Fiber Company: Maine Fiber Company is working to connect Maine to the growth market of the information economy by building up the broadband infrastructure in the state, covering approximately 1,100 miles from Fort Kent to Eastport. The company will not only bring more jobs to the state, but also improve Maine’s appeal for companies looking for a better place to conduct their business.
 

Best of the Web Awards

2011 Best of the Web - Corporate Image site: verrilldana.com

VerrillDana.com sets its law firm apart from the masses with a “show-not-tell” attitude to introducing clients to their cases, partners, and staff. The site’s intuitive navigation takes prospective clients through a clean design showcasing real client stories, biographies, photos, and information about the company that demonstrates the firm’s ideals and establishes a firm foundation for client trust. Designed by Hubbard One.

Finalists:

freshnews.gorhamsavingsbank.com: The Gorham Savings Bank Fresh News blog is innovating the way the bank reaches out to its customers. By allowing users to customize their viewing experience and offering content that is designed to interest customers without pushing products, the site engages clients in an entirely new and memorable online experience of banking. Designed By iBec Creative.

gortons.com: Gortons.com has become the primary brand message delivery vehicle for Gorton’s Seafood. Traffic to the site increased 18% between 2009 and 2010 through use of contests, sweepstakes, additional recipes, and consumer-generated content. By diligent and continuous content updates, the site has a drastically improved SEO and provides a strong brand image for the company. Designed by: Laura Davis, Karly Eretzian, Thomas Scola, Rinck Advertising
 

2011 Best of the Web - Nonprofit site: portlandmusicfoundation.org

Powered by a sophisticated, open-source framework, PortlandMusicFoundation.org is a unique site that opens an essential gateway to the development of Portland’s image as a destination for musicians and music lovers by providing a well-designed internet hub for the music community. Designed by Pemaquid Communications.

Finalists:

mainetourism.com: MaineTourism.com needed to meet the organization’s goals of bringing more people and money to the state without relying on the already strained staff to produce constant content. Maine Tourism has achieved this goal by developing an attractive site that provides excellent trip-planning tools for tourists and opportunities for them to share their Maine experience through online tools. Website and Listing Engine - Designed and Developed by Sephone Interactive Media.

sweetser.org: In the redesign of its site, Sweetser demonstrates a commitment to making information easily accessible to clients, donors, and healthcare professionals. The user-friendly presentation of critical information is supported by links to news, client stories, and a call to action, giving site users one of the most effective and informative site experiences in the area of healthcare non-profits. Designed & developed by Sweetser.

2011 Best of the Web - Arts & Entertainment site: themainemag.com

TheMaineMag.com appeals to the young, hip element in the state by providing a go-to site for information about arts, entertainment, food, and the people who bring Maine to life. The site provides extensive, searchable content in a format that is well-designed for ease of navigation and strongly tied to social media.

Finalists:

mainelobsterfestival.com: Redesigned by web design students at the Maine College of Art, the new MaineLobsterFestival.com uses cutting edge web design technology. The partnership between MECA and the Maine Lobster Festival gave students access to a real-life learning opportunity and gave the company an updated open source design, better social media connectivity, and a mobile device-conscious design for a minimal cost. Designed by Pemaquid Communications.

mainerunning.com: MaineRunning.com makes it easy to connect to the community of runners in Maine. The site offers an extensive amount of information regardless of whether a user is a walker or a marathon champion, plugging each individual into the best available events with the minimum navigational effort. Designed By iBec Creative.
 

2011 Best of the Web - E-Commerce site: anniecatherine.com

AnnieCatherine.com is the appealing online face of the art of Maine artists Catherine Breer and Annie Darling. The e-commerce system provides an easy-to-navigate, multi-tiered online shopping experience that can offer recommendations for related products, accept bulk and promotional discount codes, locate stores, and manage order fulfillment. Site Image, Art Direction and Graphic Design: Annie Darling, annie|catherine, inc.  Web Design, IA, Interface Production & Content Management: Pemaquid Communications

 

Finalists:

galleryleather.com: In its first year, GalleryLeather.com served tens of thousands of customers. The e-commerce site was locally built from the ground up for Gallery Leather and offers shopping and management features to rival national e-commerce sites. The framework is designed to make maintenance of the site simple with almost no staff training. Web Development by Firefly, LLC with design contributions from annie|catherine, Rebecca Bing and Erin Foglietta.

maiseymae.com: MaiseyMae.com combines a nicely-targeted design with a shopping framework that allows customers to view and customize gift packages or individual items with equal ease. The site also features smooth integration with social media and features such as gift certificates and wholesale purchasing. Designed By iBec Creative.