Good To-Go Selected as Finalist in Gorham Savings Bank’s $50,000 LaunchPad Grant

5 brands selected from over 130 submissions

Kittery, ME May 23, 2017

Gorham Savings Bank, a leading Southern Maine financial services institution, has selected five early-stage Maine businesses as the finalists of its annual LaunchPad small business competition. Now in its fifth year, the premier small business competition of its kind, Gorham Savings Bank’s LaunchPad helps Maine innovators and entrepreneurs get off the ground.

From an applicant pool of over 130 businesses, Good To-Go, Jellux, North Spore, STARC Systems and UniteGPS rose to the top and will move onto the next round – a live pitch competition to be held the evening of Tuesday, June 6 at USM’s Hannaford Hall in Portland.

There, in front of a live audience, an independent panel of judges will decide which of these small-but-promising Maine businesses will be awarded the $50,000 grant from Gorham Savings Bank. Returning this year are LaunchPad judges WEX President & CEO Melissa Smith, Winxnet CEO and Co-founder Chris Claudio, and the Director of SMCC’s Entrepreneurial Center, Michelle Neujahr.

In addition, Gorham Savings Bank will introduce the Emerging Idea Award. This separate $10,000 grant prize will also include $10,000 of in-kind marketing, business development and public relations services from iBec Creative, Creative Imaging Group, Grove Marketing, Chris Philbrook PR and Provoke Consulting. The winner will be selected from the remaining applicants and announced at the live event.

“Maine’s economy is made up of thousands of small and innovative businesses. We’re constantly inspired by the success stories we hear from entrepreneurs” said Chris Emmons, President and CEO of Gorham Savings Bank. “Not only do we want to see those numbers grow; we want to see more of those businesses succeed. The excitement around the competition only demonstrates the strength of entrepreneurship in Maine.”

About Good To-Go: Located in Kittery, ME, Good To-Go’s mission is to elevate expectations of what prepared meals can taste like. Using all-natural, healthy ingredients, most of which are probably in your kitchen right now, and no preservatives, Good To-Go’s dehydrated gourmet meals are not just satisfying, but created with performance and flavor in mind. The brand was started by Chef Jennifer Scism and David Koorits in 2014, a time when the market was craving something tastier and healthier. Scism was co-founder of a top-rated NYC restaurant, has traveled the world studying local foods, and has beaten Mario Batali on Iron Chef. Koorits has spent his career as a wilderness therapy counselor, ski patroller, wildland firefighter and nurse. Over the course of their first three years, the brand has continued to add people-power and production space to address demand. Today, Good To-Go is sold in over 500 stores nationwide. More info can be found at www.goodto-go.com. For sales inquiries, please contact David Koorits, david@goodto-go.com or 603-828-9097 and for media, Kate Ketschek, kate@revolutionhousemedia.com, 603-828-1050.

About Gorham Savings Bank: Gorham Savings Bank, founded in 1868 and headquartered in Gorham, Maine, is a community bank delivering full financial services to customers throughout Southern Maine. The only bank headquartered in Cumberland County, Gorham Savings caters to businesses who like to keep their accounts, loans, and other financial products managed locally. The bank’s retail division provides consumers with savings accounts, personal loans, home mortgages, HELOCs, CDs, IRAs, financial planning, and more. Its network of 11 branches is complemented by a growing footprint of ATMs and ITMs, as well as mobile services that meet people wherever they are. Gorham Savings Bank is a member of the FDIC. Learn more at gorhamsavingsbank.com