Business Spotlight: Mark Morrison, Atlantic Wealth Planning Group

Mark Morrison is interested in helping those who understand the value of investing, even if they find it sometimes confusing.

As a Financial Advisor since 2015, Morrison is affiliated with Atlantic Wealth Planning Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC located at 10 Plaza Drive, Suite 105 in Scarborough, and focused on clients throughout New England. Morrison employs a personal and consultative approach for individuals, families and businesses using sound, sensible solutions tailored to the needs of his clients. 

He grew up in small town Orrington and graduated from Bangor High School, where he met his wife, Candace. They have now been married for more than 30 years. Morrison earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Southern Maine and moved to Windham from South Portland in 1990 soon after his daughter Kristen was born.

The Morrisons have two children, with both son Greg and daughter Kristen attending schools in Windham and going on to earn business degrees from the University of Maine. Mark’s mother, Alola moved to Windham three years ago to be closer to family.

Morrison’s involvement in Windham began by supporting his children's interests but has steadily grown through the years to where he is now a respected leader in the town.

“I coached my daughter Kristen in soccer only briefly and coaching her quickly turned to chauffer when she started studying ballet in Falmouth.  I was out of my element fast, when it came to dance, having two left feet,” he said. “I coached soccer for about six years until Greg reached 6^th grade.  That was about the time I became part of a grass-roots effort of parents who helped bring varsity ice hockey to Windham where my role was fundraising.

He joined the Sebago Lake Rotary Club six years ago and is the new club president. His focus is on youth leadership, food security, education, senior issues and veterans.

“Rotary is also engaged with the Windham Veterans Center where my mom is a member and a retired Army officer,” Morrison said.

Along with that, Morrison has been a board member of the Windham Economic Development Corporation for three years with a focus on town improvement projects and new business opportunities.

That led to him running for a seat on the Windham Town Council last November, which he won and is now six months into a three-year term, emphasizing the town’s budget, sustainable growth, and protecting Windham’s natural resources.

His business background and experience in finance for 30-plus years are essential components to his work as a financial advisor. He’s worked in business in sales and as a consultant to small and large businesses along the East Coast, finding solutions through problem solving, and  building efficiencies in the energy, transportation and logistics industries with Ryder, Penske, and WEX.

Morrison is also a volunteer instructor with many local adult education programs, teaching on topics related to personal finance.   Social Security, Medicare, business retirement plans, estate and retirement planning are my most popular (see his website for schedule).

As a consultant with businesses and individuals for over 30 years, Morrison has developed a straightforward process to work with his clients. 

"I use a collaborative process which works very well for really understanding the present, and then identifying areas of opportunity to improve the client's position. We do a thorough ‘drill down’ in the analysis stage and solutions are then presented based on our discovery,” he said. “I explain the pros and cons and we then work together to find the best course of action with which the client is most comfortable.  We set goals, monitor to make sure we stay on track and adjust when needed.  The process I use is sound and sensible, but it has taken many years to develop and refine. Clients appreciate this approach and new clients are often gained through referrals.  I am taking on new clients, and certainly welcome an opportunity to see where I may help. <

To reach Mark Morrison, call him at 207-289-1005 or send him an email at mark.morrison@ampf.com. <

Spotlight: Windham Farmers’ Market

Now its fourth year, word of mouth, quality and outstanding values have helped propel the Windham Farmers’ Market into a savvy shopper’s go-to destination for healthy fresh food and hand-crafted artisanal items in the Lakes Region of Maine.

Sponsored by the Windham Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and Baker Brook Farm Creamery, the market remains committed to supporting local farmers, food producers, and artisans in their pursuit of economic viability and to provide a vehicle for improved community access to fresh and healthy local foods and products.  

The market will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday from May 22 through Oct. 2.  It is located just off the Route 302 and River Road intersection, at the end of Turning Leaf Drive in North Windham, adjacent to the Stockhouse Restaurant and Sandbar Pub.

“One of our hopes, when we were organizing that first year, was to have a space that was relaxing and welcoming to be in. We weren’t sure how much interest there would be, but we decided to step into the void and see what happened,” said Lisa Fisher of the Windham Farmers’ Market. “Support from our vendors and customers has been overwhelming! They are amazing and the market is really about them.  It is so satisfying to be a part of something that is having a positive effect.”

Fisher said that the Windham Farmers’ Market participates in various programs to help meet a founding goal of the market, to improve community access to fresh local foods. The market accepts SNAP and participants will also receive Maine Harvest Bucks, which are vouchers for the purchase of fruits and vegetables.

Bumper Crop is an employee gift voucher program with participating local businesses providing gift vouchers to their employees, which can be used to purchase food at the market. Vendors also accept a variety of payment types.

The ambiance at the market is casual, friendly and inviting and features farmers, artisans, and food producers who are seasonal vendors attending each Saturday or visiting vendors who attend for just a few days over the season. Their offerings are always changing, and you never know what you’ll find.

Siochanta Farm owners, Suzy and David Palmer stated, “The market is filled with positive energy…from the farmers and artisans to the customers visiting!  Laughter and smiles abound.  A real community experience!”  Carol Milliken, of Carol’s Creations, characterizes the market community as a “great group of people.”

This year’s lineup of seasonal vendors includes:

Baker Brook Farm – locally raised beef, steaks, rib eyes, tenderloins, T-bones, porterhouse, steak tips, strip steaks, New York sirloin, top sirloins, tasty lean ground beef, roasts; stew beef; and dog bones.  Also matted photographs of unique animals, landscapes, and still-lifes.

Carol’s Creations – handmade quilts, blankets, cloth bags, microwave cozies, and shopping cart handle bands.

Cates Cache – plantings, bird houses, and décor for your home and garden.

Fox Run Gifts – knit and crocheted baby sweaters, booties, and hand knit mittens, Wrap n Zaps, and clothing protectors.

Hailey’s Kitchen – whoopie pies, cookies, pies, confections, and more baked favorites.

Jennifer’s Things – handwoven reed baskets, Russian Punch-Needle craftwork, primitive paintings, and décor.

Legna Woodcrafts – hand crafted charcuterie boards, bowls, tables, and custom works.

Magnolia Flower Company – locally grown cut flower bouquets, featuring flowers raised from hand sown crops in Windham, also designs for wedding & other occasions, by request.

Maines Made –fabric accessories for your home, holidays, and special occasions.

Mulberry Farms – organic fruits and vegetables, jams, pickles, mustards, maple syrup, notecards.

PH Farms and Hidden Falls Farm – bacon, pork, rabbit, chicken, jams, eggs, fruits, vegetables, pickles, honey.

Samantha’s Fresh Produce – garden fresh fruit and vegetables, flower arrangements

Siochanta Farm (pronounced "she-HON-ta") – pure essential oil-based soaps, sprays, candles, lotions, scrubs, dog shampoo, and much more.

Small Woods Farm – vegetables, seasonal fruits, cut flower bouquets, freshly baked bread, treats, full moon apothecary items, botanical home goods, crafts, maple syrup, honey, and eggs.

Some visiting vendors attending the market this year are:

Captain Mowatt’s Hot Sauce – award winning hot sauces on June 12, July 17 and Aug. 14.

Rebecca Jean – Maine-inspired hats, jewelry, and faux fur bags on May 22, May 29, June 5, July 3, July 17, Aug. 7, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Sept. 18, and Oct. 2.

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village – culinary herbs, tea blends, herbal waters, Shaker-made crafts/soaps, candles, brooms, woodwork, honey, canned goods, bouquets, apples, and pears on June 5, July 10, and Sept. 4.

Warner Décor & More – earth-friendly woodcraft items for you and your home on May 22, May 29, June 19, July 24 and July 31, Aug. 21, Aug. 28, Sept. 18, Sept. 25, and Oct. 2.

The market also will feature live music by the Pond Lilies on July 10 and Sept. 11.

“We want to thank all the customers who have supported us over the years. It is really because of you that local artisans, food producers, growers, and specialty vendors can continue to do what they love and offer these services locally,” said Jen Kenneally of the Windham Farmers’ Market. “We thank you for your past support and really look forward to your help in supporting the market going forward. Without you, we couldn't do it. We look forward to seeing you rain, shine, hot summer days and cool autumn Saturday mornings from May to October, Saturday 8:30 to 12:30.”

Find the Windham Farmers Market on Facebook @WindhamFarmers Market or online at WindhamFarmersMarket.com. <

Holiday Spotlight: Shop Local with this Bonus Gift Card Promotion

It just might be time to rethink the old expression “it’s better to give than receive” when shopping for
Christmas gifts in the Lakes Region, thanks to a new bonus card program.

The initiative was created by Robin Mullins, the Executive Director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce and Tom Bartell, the Executive Director of the Windham Economic Development Corporation. Customers will receive a $5 bonus card for every $25 in gift cards that they purchase at 22 different participating chamber businesses.

As an example, those who buy $100 worth of gift cards will receive four $5 bonus cards to be used during a later date.

“Residents should be excited about this because they get bonus $5 cards for gift cards they were probably going to buy anyway, and by shopping local they are helping local businesses and the community,” Mullins said. “If a consumer spends $100 at a locally owned business, $68 of that stays local, supporting community programs.”

Bartell echoed that sentiment.

“In this time of restricted business activity, buying local will help our locally owned and operated businesses through the upcoming winter season,” he said.

The promotion is modeled after successful bonus card programs offered by businesses elsewhere and was created by Mullins and Bartell during a brain storming session at Rustler’s Steakhouse.

“We said ‘Hey we can do that here,’” Mullins said.

This special promotion begins Dec. 6 and ends when the merchant’s allotment of 50 cards has been distributed or at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31. To redeem the cards, a customer must present the card to a participating business and it will be accepted as cash against the total bill.

Bonus cards expire March 31. 2021 and the initiative is generously sponsored by the Windham Economic Development Corporation and Gorham Savings Bank.

“Because the bonus cards do not expire until March 31, we hope that folks will use them well after the holiday season,” Mullins said. “By doing so, they will continue to support local businesses and the community.”

She said it is hoped that this program prompts residents to consider shopping locally this holiday season.

“Ordering online, although convenient, is hopefully a consumer’s last option, and only when an item cannot be found locally,” Mullins said. “If a consumer orders online with an organization like Amazon, none of that money stays local. Therefore, providing no benefit to our community at all.”

She said that locally owned businesses generate more tax revenue and thus promote positive economic growth by recirculating a greater share of every dollar back into the local economy, adding to the pot of many non-profit and social programs, facilitating civically based healthy communities.

Bartell said the timing of this program follows growing national trends.

“Recent studies have shown that consumer spending above gift-card value has been increasing over the last few years and is averaging $59 more than the original value of their gift card, up from $21 from 2017,” he said. “Bringing customers into your establishment with a gift card leads to increased sales.”

Mullins said the bonus card program is perfect for both local shoppers and area businesses.

“I see this as a huge benefit as it will not only get shoppers in to buy gift cards but will also get them back to redeem the $5 bonus cards,” she said. “And, due to the generosity of Windham Economic Development Corporation and Gorham Savings Bank, the $5 bonus cards will not come out of the businesses’ bottom line, but rather will be reimbursed to them.”

According to Mullins, local businesses are excited to offer the bonus card initiative this year.

“Every business has been happy to participate,” she said. “In fact, they say ‘This is a no brainer.’ And they asked if we wanted them to reach out to other business owners about the program.”

Bartell said that Windham Economic Development Corporation is grateful to Gorham Savings Bank for funding the initiative.

“It was great that Gorham Savings Bank reached out to us and agreed to provide the resources to be able to double the participating local businesses,” he said. <

Business Spotlight on Windham Work Lounge

By Gayle Plummer

Windham Work Lounge, Windham’s first co-working facility will be opening soon! A growing Windham will soon have space to offer people, with creative business ideas; a place to go to develop their businesses without necessarily taking the large financial risks of renting individual office spaces. 

 “We want people envisioning a comfortable, stylish business community atmosphere with amenities rather than thinking about office cubicles. Co-working spaces are the next logical progression in evolving an ideal work environment and we are pumped to be creating one for Windham” stated Kate Hebold, start-up manager for Windham Work Lounge. She continued, “The hours will vary depending on the membership type that one purchases. Our Basic Members will have key fobs (small security key device) that grant access from 6 am to 6 pm. However, we have great private offices available as well, and those tenants will have increased accessibility to their suites. Along with more accessibility, they will also be entitled to the same basic member benefits such as booking conference rooms, a kitchen, the co-working area and the outside patio. The private office suites upstairs are ideal for people who are more established in their business fields but still would like to walk out of their offices and feel the energy of being amongst their creative peers, all pursuing their own unique goals.”

Dennis Strout, (Contact/Team Member) has a recently vacated building that wasn’t being utilized.  After some discussions with locals and friends, such as Thomas Bartell, Director of Economic Development in Windham, Dennis realized how much enthusiastic support and input was forthcoming and it didn’t take long to start working on this concept, due to this motivating idea that Windham could definitely benefit from such a place.

Kate Hebold

The team that has been putting all the pieces in place consists of Strout, Hebold and Andreas Aronsson, who is the web site creator.

And now, this team is setting up for their open house scheduled for Wednesday, February 27 from 1 pm to 5 pm and they are located at 102 Tandberg Trail, Windham.

Strout and Hebold agreed that the agenda of a co-working venue is not really to be standing around talking; yet there is always going to be a natural type of networking that will be taking place that can help, inspire or connect some of the folks within the co-working facility.

As an example Hebold shared that she and her brother did exactly that in another co-working facility. “My brother and I are business partners in an asset management company and we frequently book times to catch up, at a private conference room in the Portland co-working facility, Cloud Port; I highly recommend folks check it out. A conference room there can easily be booked remotely; and this is a service that we will also have available at Windham Work Lounge. It feels great to just roll in, grab a free coffee and have a private room all reserved for your business needs. While we were there, my brother met an individual who was a great web designer and a creative thinker. We liked connecting with him immediately, both in passing and during lunch. My brother really appreciated his ideas and his vibe, so it was effortless to ask if he could assist us with a website and ad campaign.

Andreas Aronsson

Knowing this person up front took the sting or risk out of commissioning a site blindly or via the arduous process of: finding someone online, setting up a meeting, then hoping it was a fit; if it wasn’t a good match, then one would have to find a diplomatic way of saying ‘we are not interested or this is not a good fit.’ A co-working atmosphere can lend itself to some simple networking that will take some of this kind of stress off.”

Strout and Hebold feel that the Windham Work Lounge will play to its strengths of being located in a rural town. For instance, there is the large, backyard patio area where folks can work, meet or run workshops. The more secluded area will lend itself to a membership application process where the team will accept a limited number of folks and create a more robust intake process that will provide harmony and safety. The team is also looking to acquire some local artisan furniture and artwork that will harmonize with their theme. They would like to offer the furniture for sale by consignment as well. They are motivated by the area’s talent and feel they want to promote local folks to get their crafts out into the world.

Strout and Hebold agreed that, “Mainly, we just want Windham to have what most cities have access to: an affordable space for a diverse group of people who are just looking to foster their ideas in a professional, comfortable, sustainable atmosphere.”

To learn more about this new work space, contact Dennis Strout, Windham Work Lounge, 102 Tandberg Trail, Windham by calling 207-712-7889 or email at workloungemanager@gmail.com or visit their website, which will soon be found at windhamworklounge.com