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In this episode of The Boulos Beat, host Greg Boulos speaks with Mike Bourque, the president, and CEO of MEMIC, short for Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company. MEMIC is a multi-state workers’ compensation carrier with assets over $1.6 billion.  Mike and Greg sit down to discuss how Mike came to be the second president and CEO of MEMIC and how his efforts help strategically position the company as an industry leader in workplace safety. The two also speak on Mike’s journey to working with MEMIC, how the company and claims process works, and if there are any plans to expand into other areas. They also get into the benefits of buying into workplace safety, if it’s possible to build a company culture through a remote working style, and what the state of Maine could do better in its business sector. 

In this episode of The Boulos Beat, we embark on a journey into the future. Over the last several years, Greg Boulos and our guest hosts have interviewed some of the state’s most insightful commercial real estate minds. They were asked to predict where they foresee the commercial real estate industry taking us over the next 10 to 20 years. In this special episode, we’ve collected those predictions from each of our guests, so sit back, relax, and join us as we take this voyage together.

Masthead Maine publishes five daily newspapers including the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Morning Sentinel, Kennebec Journal, Sun Journal, Times Record and 17 weeklies through its commercial printing facility in Portland.  Lisa and Greg sit down to talk about how Lisa is responsible for more than 400 employees, how she makes sure she runs a profitable business and the best and worst parts of her job. They also discuss Lisa’s Like a Boss series where she interviews other CEOs from different companies, and how she finds time to volunteer through it all. The two also speak about print journalism, its future, and how the pandemic affected the publication of Masthead Maine.

Dan is a highly respected commercial real estate broker with over four decades of experience, which all started from his continuous persistence that landed him a job in commercial real estate brokerage alongside the Boulos brothers. Dan and Greg sit down to discuss how Dan was in a New Jersey street gang, how he got started in the real estate business, and what it takes to become a real estate broker. The duo discuss how the most successful brokers are often the most insecure, and advice from Dan for young people just starting out in the industry. They also dive deep into recent recessions, how they’ve impacted the real estate market and why he stayed at The Boulos Company despite having the opportunity to start his own business.

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On this episode of The Boulos Beat, Boulos Company Partner Tony McDonald guest-hosts for Greg Boulos as he interviews Joseph Wishcamper of The Wishcamper Companies, an affordable housing developer based here in Portland, Maine. Wishcamper entities own roughly 10,000 apartment units nationwide. Tony and Joe discuss Joe’s history growing up in a poverty-stricken West Texas community and how he found his way to the affordable housing industry and Portland after graduating from Yale and Harvard Law. They also dive into Joe’s perspective on the importance of building relationships, the pros, and cons, of working in affordable housing, The Wishcamper Company's recent involvement in solar, and the most memorable projects of his career. Joe is a legend in affordable housing circles and in the Portland real estate community, his remarks and reminiscences are truly interesting. Listen to the latest episode of The Boulos Beat on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Vimeo, or YouTube!

In this episode of the Boulos Beat podcast, host Greg Boulos speaks with Kevin French, chairman and CEO of Landry-French Construction. A 100% employee-owned company, Landry-French Construction is one of the leading commercial construction companies in New England. Founded in the depths of the Great Recession in 2010, Landry-French is still going strong more than ten years later. Having majored in criminal justice and started his career as a police officer, Kevin French discusses his transition into the construction business, his partnership with co-founder Denis Landry, the structure of the company as an employee stock ownership program, and the challenges his business faces today, including inflation and the supply chain. Listen to the latest episode of The Boulos Beat on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Vimeo, or YouTube!

In this episode of The Boulos Beat, guest-hosting for Greg Boulos is Samantha Marinko, Associate at the Boulos Company, as she sits down with Jeff Buckwalter, CEO and Co-Owner of The Holy Donut. The Holy Donut is a family-owned donut and coffee company that started with a single shop in Portland, Maine, and has grown to employ over 120 people and sell over 2 million donuts a year. Samantha and Jeff discuss his professional and educational background, how he ended up leaving his safe, well-paying corporate career in sales to take a leap of faith into the donut business, how the Holy Donut supports the community by focusing on local, natural ingredients, and the challenges associated with growing a donut business (especially during a pandemic).

In this episode of The Boulos Beat, host Greg Boulos sits down with Bob Garver. Bob is the owner and President of Wicked Joe Organic Coffees, a company founded in 2003 by Bob and his wife and business partner, Carmen. As part of the company, Bob also owns and operates Bard Coffee. Greg and Bob discuss Bob’s introduction to coffee when serving abroad in Turkey, how he found success in building a small business in Maine, and why he remains so committed and passionate about serving and producing Organic Certified coffee. Wicked Joe began with Bob and Carmen in Topsham, and has since grown to employ 40+ employees and sell and distribute coffee in all 50 states.

In this episode, guest-hosting for Greg Boulos is Partner and Broker Nate Stevens, as he sits down with Ellen Belknap, President of SMRT, and Paul Stevens, his father and former President of the firm. Originally founded by Nate’s great-grandfather, renowned architect John Calvin Stevens, SMRT is a full-service architecture, engineering, planning, interiors, and energy firm. They service all types of projects including, but not limited to, government infrastructure, corporate offices, education facilities, and medical buildings. Ellen and Paul discuss their history at SMRT, including a unique history of owning and leasing various offices, SMRT’s work to adapt to COVID-19, and how they use their office space and company culture to attract high-end talent to the firm.

In this episode, guest-hosting for Greg Boulos is Partner and Broker Tony McDonald, as he sits down with Jean Hoffman; entrepreneur, investor, and local business leader. Jean founded and led Newport Strategies, a healthcare information technology company, and Putney, a pet pharmaceutical company. She currently serves on the boards of The Jackson Laboratory, MedRhythms, and Argenta and is an investor. Learn more about Jean’s perspective on moving her companies to Portland and recruiting talent to Maine, the benefits of Portland to a new or growing company, and why the effects COVID-19 and the brand-new Roux Institute have both Jean and Tony bullish on the future of life science and information technology industries in Maine.

In this episode, host Greg Boulos sits down once again with David Shaw for Part II of this episode of The Boulos Beat. Described by Greg as a “serial entrepreneur,” David continues to chronicle his remarkable career path in this portion of the interview. Greg and David discuss those who had the greatest impact on him at the beginning of his career, how he overcomes adversity in his ventures, and his advice to budding entrepreneurs. David also discusses various influential portions of his personal life, including his upbringing in Nashua, NH, his battle with viral encephalitis, and his adventurous spirit that has taken him to the depths of the ocean, all the way to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.

In this episode, host Greg Boulos sits down with David Shaw for our very first two-part episode of The Boulos Beat. David Shaw is the Managing Partner of Black Point Group, with wide-ranging interests in technology companies and public service. Locally, David is known for starting IDEXX Laboratories, Covetrus – formerly Vets First Choice – (co-founder, chair), and as former Chair of the Board of The Jackson Laboratory. David’s career and entrepreneurial spirit have taken him to the pinnacle of success in veterinary technology, precision medicine, food & agriculture, and venture capitalism. In Part I of this episode, Greg and David discuss David’s path to success with a wide array of business ventures. Stay tuned for Part II of the David Shaw interview!

In this episode, host Greg Boulos sits down with our very own Tony McDonald, Partner and Senior Broker at The Boulos Company. Tony has been with the company for over 30 years and is one of Maine’s most successful commercial brokers. Tune in to hear Greg and Tony discuss his career path, why he chose to pursue a life-long career in commercial real estate brokerage, and his philosophies to doing good business as a broker. Tony also offers his insight into how the market has changed over his career, how to weather market recessions and booms, and some of his favorite (and least favorite) deals. For those new to commercial real estate or interested in entering the business, be sure to listen for Tony’s advice to new brokers, the character necessary to succeed in brokerage, and how to avoid burnout in a difficult and fast-paced industry.

In this episode, guest-hosting for Greg Boulos is Partner and Broker Tony McDonald, as he sits down with Josh Broder, CEO of Tilson Technology Management. Tilson is a Portland based firm with a national presence, whose mission is to build America’s information infrastructure. Josh Broder started Tilson in 2006. After Josh completed his career in the military, he came back to Maine, where he grew up, to begin working at a startup. Learn more about how Josh got involved in Tilson, the company’s tremendous growth, and the environment in Maine which helped Tilson Technology thrive. Discover Josh's opinion on the effects of COVID on digitalization, his thoughts on working remotely, and the workforce in Maine.

In this episode, guest-hosting for Greg Boulos is Partner and Designated Broker Jessica Estes, as she sits down with Melissa Smith, Chair and CEO of WEX. Melissa Smith started at WEX in 1997 as a senior financial advisor and worked her way to the company’s most senior position. She participates in extensive non-profit work and serves on the Equifax and MaineHealth boards of directors. Tune in to hear about Melissa’s journey, her thoughts on WEX’s continued growth, their position on going back to the office, and how women can support one another.