Business spotlight All Seasons Power Equipment by Michelle Libby

All Seasons Power Equipment is gearing up for the spring season and rolling out the new equipment to help homeowners with projects and help professionals take their businesses to the next level. The company opened its doors at 633 Roosevelt Trail five years ago as an off shoot of Reid’s Service Center in Oxford, which opened in 1945. Andy Paine bought the company in the nineties.  
 

“We’re a local business. We do everything the big guys do and then some,” said store manager Joe Payton. 

All Seasons Power Equipment carries a full line of Husqvarna power tools and lawn mowers, the entire LS Tractor line, Grasshopper commercial line, DR bush hogs, Little Wonder leaf blowers and Generac power washers and portable generators.  People are encouraged to come in to try out the machines. 

“You get to try cars at the car dealership, why not here,” said Mike Harrington, who does service in the shop. 

From chainsaws with battery packs to zero turn lawnmowers, All Seasons has what Mainers need to keep lawns, gardens, hedges and more in line all seasons of the year. The Husqvarna 100 Series homeowner kit can provide a battery-operated trimmer with charger for $229.95. 

“We’re here for the basic homeowner who mows the lawn once a month to a professional that does it eight hours a day, seven days a week,” Payton said. “We have tractors that are full-sized up to 50 horsepower in stock.” 

The blue LS tractors take prime real estate in front of the store. The popular XJ Series has 1,300 pounds lifting capacity, which is the most for a 25-horsepower engine, Payton said. 

“Anything bought from us is put together, ready to go. We don’t like boxes,” he said. “You can go out and buy the most expensive equipment, but without service to go with it, it’s useless.” 

Every piece of equipment has a 40-point checklist. “We run it. When we hand it to you, you’ve seen it run and we can show you how it runs. Same with all of our tractors,” Payton said. On new equipment there is free delivery within a 50-mile radius. 

“Our motto is ‘save green, buy blue’,” Payton said. LS Tractors carry the same warranties and have the same lifting capacities for a lot less money than the other companies known for their tractors.

All Seasons carries parts for all of the lines they carry and special orders can be placed for items not in stock. They carry leaf blowers, push mowers and riding mowers, whatever a homeowner could need. 

All Seasons Power Equipment is also a “full-service shop, servicing all brands, not just the brands we sell,” said Payton. They also do warranty work on all the brands they sell, even if they weren’t purchased at their store. 

“All the work is done here,” said Payton. None of the equipment is sent to other shops. “The majority of parts can be here in two days, if I don’t have it,” Payton said. 

The service technicians hold certificates in all the major brands they work on.

All Seasons offers a fee-based pick up and delivery service. There’s no limit on distance. Call for prices, Payton suggested. 

The four employees work hard and are often “treated well with food.” The other two employees are Jeremy Perkins, sales and service, and Dave Beaupre, driver. “We all multi-task,” said Payton.

The company stands out because of its “personal service. We do everything in house,” Payton said. “I also get to play with large equipment and I really enjoy working with people.” 

All Seasons is open for sales and service Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Items can be dropped off at any time. No appointments are needed. 

For more information, call 207-894-2298, email allseasonspe1@gmail.com or visit them online at www.allseasonspowerinc.com.

Business spotlight 9Round by Michelle Libby

For those looking for a new workout adventure, 9Round on Elm Street in Gorham provides a fun, energy filled workout that will leave members sweaty. Ted Rioux, his wife Melissa Harris-Rioux and their daughter Terra Rioux own and run the franchise, as a part of their company Terra Health & Fitness, Inc. 9Round Gorham is the first gym in Maine dedicated strictly to kickbox fitness, soon to be followed by Scarborough and Westbrook in 2019. 
 

“This is a 30-minutes kickboxing themed workout,” said Ted. “With this sport you can combine aerobic training with anaerobic and resistance training. Packing a lot into a 30-minute workout.” When a member hits the 120-pound heavy bag, they are getting resistance training, he added. 

Ted worked for a medical device company for 20 years, but decided he needed to spend more time with his family and on his own health. He discovered 9Round while working. After that, he was hooked and wanted to bring it to his hometown of Gorham. His family business helped to change his own future and health. 

Melissa is a registered nurse at Maine Medical Center and also holds a BS in health and fitness. She is the motivating force behind the Rioux family, Ted said.   

“We provide an effective, affordable, safe and clean environment, and program for people to benefit from,” Ted said. Members are given all the equipment they need to execute the workout, Ted said. The 9Round circuit workout uses wrist wraps, boxing gloves and heart rate monitors as members work through the stations. The heart rate monitor keeps the clients’ heart rates in the perfect fat burning mode. Each member is coached and monitored throughout the workouts. If someone is working too hard, they are encouraged to take a break for a minute to drop the rate down before continuing.

The range of members is broad, according to Ted. From high school student athletes to men and women in their sixties, the workout can be tailored to a first timer just getting into fitness to a seasoned, hardcore athlete. 

“You work out at your own pace. Instructors help with form and move with your pace so you stay in the heart rate zone,” Ted said. The instructors are always on the floor. There are seven of them and two guest trainers with boxing and kickboxing experience who take turns working. The guest trainers also train the staff to make sure the clients are using safe techniques. 

The fitness club has an industrial feel with music pumping through speakers and a buzzer that notifies those working out that it’s time to change stations. On a TV screen in the corner of the room, heart rates are shown in large numbers with colored backgrounds depending on where the person’s heart rate is. The program is based on heart rate training. Green is the target heart rate, while yellow and red are okay for brief periods. The members work at the optimum heart rate for burning fat, which is 82 percent to 91 percent of the maximum heart rate.   

“It’s pretty intense for 30 minutes,” said member Wayne Franklin. “I like having someone there to motivate me.”

9Round has only been open for a little over a week. Members are still learning how to do the wrist wraps, and Ted wastes no time in demonstrating. He remembers most clients as they enter, encouraging and making everyone feel welcome. 

“There is so much stuff. I’ve never learned this much at a gym,” said Taylor, one of the clients.

9Round uses a program called PULSE that monitors each member and send them email workout results after every session. Points are given for being in the green or yellow zones to encourage clients to work out in the most beneficial target range. Each person has a “fighter name” that shows on the TV screen. Eventually Ted plans to hold challenges and events based around the earned points. 

“The days of the big box gyms with lots of machines is over,” Ted said. “People want more functional and specific training, where you get support from trainers as a part of the program.” 

They also offer a nutrition program, which is included. Melissa is the nutrition coach. “We help members execute the 9Round Nutrition Program,” said Ted. 

FMI, to read about the trainers or schedule a free workout, visit www.9round.com/GorhamMEElmSt; or call 839-2860.

Business spotlight on Lee Auto Mall Windham by Michelle Libby

When choosing a car, there is nothing more important than working with a trustworthy car dealership to get the best deal on a vehicle. At LeeCars in Windham, Maine customer service is their top priority and has been since they opened 15 years ago. 
 

“When you buy a vehicle from any of our 18 Lee locations the friendly customer service you receive

is our top priority,” said LeeCars General Manager David Vickers. Our Customer service philosophy is instilled in all us at the ownership level and is the foundation of our company. We believe in treating all our employees with respect and they in turn treat our customers with respect and quality service. It’s a very simple philosophy, happy employees equal happy customers.  Today’s customers are looking for transparency and ease of doing business with a reputable company. With fair market pricing, Lee checks all of the boxes.

 The employees at LeeCars in Windham have years of experience in the car industry and more specifically with Lee. The Windham Sales Manager John Girouard has been with Lee for 13 years. Their Finance Manager Dawn Maietta has 11 years with the company. Their Sales Associates Ken Kay and Matt Zisk have been with Lee for 25 and 2 years respectively. The Service manager Dan Daigle has more than 32 years with Lee. The commitment to the business translates to commitment to the customers. The tenure in the company means that a customer can continue to work with the same person with each car purchase and vehicle service year after year. 

Vickers has been at Lee since 2005. He’s worked for other companies, however has stayed at Lee because of the way they treat their employees and customers. “Every car dealership in Maine has inventory for sale,” he said, but at Lee it’s more than cars, customer service is our top priority. “It’s simply how we approach business.”

Lee Auto Malls has been in the auto business since 1936. The company is a third generation Maine family-owned and operated business, with a fourth generation now actively involved in daily management. “When a customer buys or services their vehicle at Lee, they can be proud their money stays here in Maine”. 

There are 18 Lee locations throughout the state of Maine. Customers can request to see a car from any of the 18 locations and have it moved to the closest Lee location to them at no cost. 

“A benefit of Lee is that we have locations in or near virtually every major market in the state,” Vickers said.  All of our inventory is online and fair market priced, which makes it easy to browse from the comfort of a customer’s home or anywhere they have internet access. “We make it very easy to communicate with us through all forms of digital media. We utilize all digital platforms and are very technology driven,” Vickers said. 

 “We take a lot of pride in being Maine’s largest volume dealer”.  Lee Auto Malls sells an average of 10,000 cars per year,” Vickers said. The inventory spans from cars under $10,000 up to super premium vehicles.

The Windham location sells all makes and models and has a full service department. The service department works on all makes and models, and has extremely competitive prices.

 Lee Auto also has a finance company that is exclusive to them. It is perfect for those customers who may have some blemishes on their credit. Lee Credit Express (a division within Lee) is able to help people buy a late model vehicle with low mileage. 

“We try to carry a large selection of vehicles priced under $10,000 dollars,” said Vickers. In addition, Lee also specializes in trucks under $20,000 dollars.  

Being a good community member, treating our employees and customers with respect, and selling and servicing cars summarizes LeeCars in Windham.  “We are very proud of what we do,” said Vickers. 

For more information, visit www.leeauto.com, call LeeCars Windham at 855-661-3650, or find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.  <

Business spotlight: Rose Cottage Healing by Michelle Libby

There are times when traditional medicine and talk therapy doesn’t work for certain people. Spiritual healer Jennifer McAllister offers a holistic alternative that can help heal anxiety, depression, drama, post-traumatic stress disorder, and helps people find their path in this life. 
 

At her space at 110 Tandberg Trail, Rose Cottage Healing offers a variety of techniques to help people heal from trauma or to help them heal themselves. All of the work she does centers on the energy fields that surround the body. 

“I consider myself to be a spiritual healer,” McAllister said. “I offer spiritual guidance and coaching.”

She offers Integrated Energy Therapy (IET), which is a light touch, holistic energy session, Reiki, a movement of energy in the body, psychic readings using Akashic record readings that work on healing the soul of a person, Shamanic healing which is more soul work, and she teaches classes on IET. 

“Classes are very healing on their own,” she said. 

McAllister went to art school and found herself painting roses, many different types of roses. Her talent with a paint brush was undermined by her debilitating anxiety. 

“I needed healing so desperately for anxiety. I couldn’t function in society, and felt lost and let down by western medicine,” she said. She looked for a way to heal herself. After one year of working with IET, her life had changed and she stopped all of her medication. Now her paintings, which she does for herself primarily, have a spiritual bent with angels making up the majority of her work.    

“I know the power of angels and [I am] so happy I found this amazing healing,” McAllister said. Rose Cottage Healing has been in business for five years and has been in its Windham location for a year.

In addition to the light touch work she does, McAllister also communicates with angels. “It was just what I was drawn to,” she said. 

       

Clients are welcome to “mix and match” any of her services or choose one specific modality.

“I feel divinely guided in the steps for me,” she said. She decided to help others by teaching classes on IET regularly for anyone looking to help themselves and others. 

“I see a lot of people who I recognize as myself. They are their own healers. I’m trying to guide them in the right way,” she said. 

IET therapy has been around since the 1980s according to McAllister. She herself is an IET master and teacher, having learned it when she was healing her own issues. During sessions she also receives messages from angels and guides for the person being worked on. She writes down those notes including what guidance, signs, symbols and insights they may have for the person. 

“This heals the body at a deeper, cellular level,” McAllister said. “This therapy can help release things you didn’t even know was going on.” 

The IET class has three levels and once completed they are invited to practice in McAllister’s non-profit, The Angels of Healing. The practitioners provide free services to people in crisis the third Saturday of the month at The Portland Recovery Community Center. 

“This gives the students a place to practice dealing with trauma, abuse and stuff,” she said.

By working with all ages, from kids to the elderly, she is able to help them with physical healing, emotional helping and mental healing.  

“There is no one who could not benefit from an IET session,” she added. The therapy also works on pets. “The goal is to create a sense of joy and peace by helping people to feel safe.”

McAllister can be hired to do individual readings for groups of people or gallery readings. She can be found at Leapin’ Lizards the first Tuesday of every month and all of her services can be done remotely all over the world. “There are no boundaries for the work I do,” she added.

For more information or to book a session, visit www.rosecottagehealing.com or email rosecottagehealing@yahoo.com. The next 6-hour IET class starts March 31.