Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
Spotlight on Employers Archive
Graffam Solutions Helps Maine Businesses
Graffam Solutions
This column highlights Maine employers and their experiences employing people with disabilities. Graffam Solutions plays a unique support role by helping companies successfully employ workers with disabilities.
Graffam Solutions provides human resource services and legal counsel to companies that employ between 20 and 150 people. Marine industry companies have benefited from these services as have employers in the manufacturing and service sectors.
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Spotlight: Wild Oats Bakery & Cafe in Brunswick Maine
Wild Oats Bakery & Café
Brunswick, Maine
The Wild Oats Bakery & Café has been providing breads, cakes, cookies and pies to customers in Brunswick, Maine since 1991. Over the years, the bakery’s staff, menu and reputation have grown. In addition to baked goods, the bakery now offers hot entrees, sandwiches and soups, and its staff numbers over 20. When we learned that The Wild Oats Bakery & Café has significant experience employing workers with a disability, we decided to talk with owner Becky Shepherd to learn more.
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Spotlight: Bangor Hydro Electic Company
Susan Faloon of
Bangor Hydro
Electric Company
Bangor Hydro Electric Company (BHE) has successfully
employed people with a disability for many years. “We believe that
work is an important part of everyone's life,” said Susan Faloon,
BHE’s communications officer. Employees with a disability, including
those that require accommodation to perform their work, work
in the same positions as non-disabled employees, such as in
the call center and line operations.
“One of our meter readers happens to be deaf,” said Faloon. “We
are able to provide American Sign Language interpretation via teleconference
technology. The interpreter can hear the speaker and sign the conversation
back to the same room via the monitor in real time. This allows our employee
to fully participate in all meetings and is extremely convenient.” She
described this employee as one of the first to sign up for workplace events. “He
is extremely hard working, dedicated and actually looks forward to the
challenges of working outside in Maine’s winter weather conditions,” she
said.
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Spotlight: annie/catherine
Annie Darling (left) and
Catherine Breer (right)
of annie/catherine
annie/catherine is a company located in Westbrook, Maine that creates and distributes stationery products and accessories, including cards, holiday and note card sets, limited edition prints, calendars and wrapping paper. The company, founded in 2004 by Annie Darling and Catherine Breer, recently hired Danny Winship, an illustrator who is deaf. We asked Catherine Breer to tell us about the experience of hiring and working with Danny.
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Spotlight: Dore's Café & Market
In a prior life, before opening up her own business, Dore Campbell patronized a bakery in Virginia Beach and was impressed by their hiring practices. “They always had individuals with a disability working the counter and baking,” said Campbell. “It was a great atmosphere for employees and customers; it’s great to have a diverse workforce.”
Now that she has her own business — Dore’s Café & Market in Auburn — Campbell is fully committed to having a diverse workforce that includes employees with a disability.
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