NEWPORT – Three information technology experts, who lost their jobs when Dexter Shoe Co. closed it local manufacturing operations last year, are cashing in on their work experience for the company.

Wayne Danforth, 51, of Ripley, Bob Heald, 33, of Clinton, and Andre Poulin, 26, of Corinna, hold no hard feelings against their former employer; rather, they are thankful for the opportunities the company gave them and the severance package provided at the end of their employment.

It was that severance package that helped the three friends launch PHD Consulting and their Web site DowntownME.Com. that aims to connect local businesses and service providers with the people in the community they serve.

“We had been working together for two years as a close team and we felt we could leverage that experience,” Danforth said. “It gave us an opportunity to link together.”

The three college graduates have a combined 50 years of experience in information technology, the latest gained at Dexter Shoe Co. Danforth had worked at the shoe company for 61/2 years, Heald for three years, and Poulin for two years. The consultants had headed up the manufacturing information technology sector for the company’s entire operation.

The three had expected to be among the last to leave at the shoe company; instead, they were among the first to receive their severance packages. Danforth said he received his notice on a Wednesday in November and was out a job by Friday.

That joblessness, however, was only temporary for all three. Danforth, who had an idea for an Internet-based directory service, shared his thoughts with Heald and Poulin a few weeks later. ‘We got together at my house and had a chat about our future,” Danforth recalled. The men discussed Danforth’s idea and the business just manifested itself after that.

By January, the men had a partnership, a business plan and a bright-looking future. The first initial of their names was used for the company name, or as Danforth said with a laugh, it represents poor, hungry and desperate consulting.

In less than four months, the partners had completed their application for their business and on tax day, April 15, they launched their first product, DowntownME.Com. “We had put 110 percent into it and we thought we were doing the right thing,” Poulin said, during a recent interview at their Newport office in the Triangle Plaza.

Through their Web site DowntownMe.Com, viewers can search for specific needs without dealing with pop-up and random banner advertisements. Each business that subscribes to the site has a number of advertising features available to it such as coupons, sale flyers and Web site links to help promote their product, according to Heald.

The site also offers free classified advertisements, yard sale listings and sports links. Future plans include discussion forums, chat rooms, summer job postings and an events calendar, according to Danforth.

The company already has branched out from the Dover-Foxcroft-Newport areas and now is canvassing businesses in the Bangor and Waterville areas. Their intention is to go statewide with the service and are recruiting salespeople for the purpose, including former co-workers at Dexter Shoe Co., according to Heald.

PHD Consultants also provides computer repair and network support for small businesses.

“To us, diversity is the key to success. We’ve got to go with the trends,” Danforth said. “We want to make DowntownME.Com the first place people go when looking for a service or product,” he said.

Like the cliche, what goes around comes around, Danforth said the three had invested in Dexter Shoe and Dexter Shoe had invested in the community and now they hope the community will invest in them.

PHD Consulting can be reached at 368-4653 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.