Business News

New business? Expansion? Promotions? E-mail information to weekly@bangordailynews.net, or mail it to The Weekly, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or drop it off at the front desk of the Buck Street entrance of the Bangor Daily News, 491 Main St., Bangor.

Bangor

New postmaster

Charles Gokas was installed as the new postmaster of Bangor on Sept. 28 at the Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Facility in Hampden. Elizabeth Johnson, district manager of customer service and sales for the U.S. Postal Service, District of Maine, administered the oath of office.

Gokas began his postal career more than 29 years ago as clerk-carrier in Newport, N.H. He also has served as supervisor in mail processing and postal systems examiner at White River Junction, Vt.; superintendent of postal operations in Hanover, N.H.; postmaster at Dexter for 17 years and five years as postmaster at Waterville. Gokas also has served in numerous detail assignments throughout his career.

As Bangor postmaster, Gokas is responsible for 104 employees handling mail for 1,922 post office box holders, 15,809 deliveries on city routes and 5,066 deliveries on rural routes.

Gokas said his personal goal for the Bangor office is to provide outstanding service to the community in a safe and efficient way.

Loggers council

The American Loggers Council met Sept. 23 at Husson College. It was the first time the organization, established in 1994, has met in Maine.

At the three-day meeting, Maine, which has 17 million acres of forestland, served as host to representatives from 27 other timber states.

Issues discussed at the meeting included loan guarantees for younger business leaders, business management assistance, multiyear contracts, mentoring programs and in-house training and support, and benefit cooperatives.

USDA funding

Eastern Maine Development Corp. was one of six regional organizations awarded a portion of $568,262 in federal funding to assist in hazardous waste reduction and technical assistance training. The organization received $40,500 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.