Dover Chamber celebrates expansion of Index Packaging Inc. and welcomes new members

DOVER — The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce continues to have a busy summer. Recently, the member-driven, not-for-profit organization held three ribbon cuttings. The ribbon cuttings were to welcome realtor Riley Bacon and Club Seacret agent Matt Randall as valued members of the chamber, and to congratulate Index Packaging Inc. on expanding their Dover facility.

Riley Bacon, real estate negotiator at Keller Williams Metropolitan

House hunting shouldn’t be as crazy as the market. Riley Bacon is there to help make the home buying journey much easier for the parties involved. Whether you are selling your house or looking to buy, he will be there to answer all relevant questions.

Born and raised in San Diego, Riley traveled across country to find a place to call home. “I’ve finally found that place here in New England I want to help you do the same,” he says. “I’ll work to ensure home buyers find the housing situation that best suits their needs.”

With a focus on New Hampshire’s prime vacation spots, Keller Williams Coastal Realty realtors focus on some of the most beautiful places to live in New Hampshire. To ‘find your home with Bacon’, visit www.homesbybacon.kw.com.

Agent Matt Randall of Club Seacret

From the way you look and feel to the way you travel and experience the world, Club Seacret is a lifestyle club that is the first of its kind in that it offers whole-life programming.

Club Seacret’s main mission is to ensure that its members look better, feel better, and live better. They do this by offering skin products that contain rejuvenating minerals from the Dead Sea, beneficial nutritional options for health and weight management, and the ability to travel like a celebrity at huge discounts.

Right now, Club Seacret is offering a special deal on a vacation. If you purchase a Seacret Getaway skin care package, Club Seacret will reward you with a vacation for two to your choice of all-inclusive Caribbean resorts, major name cruises, or boutique European hotels.

For more information on Club Seacret, visit www.mattrandall.com or call Matt Randall at 603-767-6500.

Index Packaging expands their 150 Venture Drive location in Dover

The expansion, which added 58,000 square feet to the building, was the largest expansion in the 54-year history of Index Packaging Inc. The space will be used to augment the overall production capacity for the packaging company that has seen a 37% increase in sales over the past year. They now can fabricate foam and corrugated packaging products at their Dover location and have a warehouse large enough to support the production floor. The total size of the building is 105,000 square feet.

“We should be able to produce dramatically more specialty packaging, both in Dover and at our campus in Milton,” says Mike Wiles, President at Index Packaging. “We are using the vacated floor space in Milton to add to our wood manufacturing capability.... we expect to be able to increase overall volume of both wood and foam/corrugated packaging by fifty percent, if all goes well.”

Index Packaging has 70 employees in Dover and employs 210 overall. Many of them were on-hand at the ribbon cutting ceremony as part of an employee appreciation day.

Index Packaging also purchased a company called Plastifoam on Oct. 1, 2021, which is based in Manchester and Merrimack. They are working on the consolidation of Plastifoam into one location (Merrimack) which will be completed by the end of September.

For more information about the services provided at Index Packaging, visit www.indexpackaging.com or call 800-662-3626.

Great Bay Stewards announces Environmental Champion Award for Board Chair

GREENLAND —  The Great Bay Stewards announced that Board of Trustees Chair Deborah Alberts has received the Aquarion Water Company Environmental Champion Award for New Hampshire.  Alberts was presented with the award during a ceremony at The Victoria Inn Bed & Breakfast and Pavilion in Hampton, N.H. Annually, Aquarion’s Environmental Champion Awards recognize organizations and individuals in the business, non‑profit, adult, and student categories.

A retired school teacher, Alberts joined the board in 2015 and in 2019 became the chair of the Great Bay Stewards, a 25-year old non-profit whose mission is to protect and conserve the Great Bay estuarine ecosystem. In her role as chair, Alberts has been a tireless advocate for research, conservation, stewardship, and education around Great Bay. She has been a critical part of launching the organization's Tide Turner program, which encourages residents to commit to making small changes to their homes and yards to improve the estuary's health and overall environment.

“She has such enthusiasm,” says Jack O’Reilly, the previous board chair.  “I just knew she would be a great next chair and as it turned out I am so happy that I was right - great dedication and leadership.  She is awesome.”

In addition to being a respected and effective leader for the board of trustees, Alberts attends outreach events, advocates for the Bay and Reserve for funding and conservation, and is eager to tell people about the amazing work being done at the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Last year she enlisted local greenhouses to donate materials to the Great Bay Stewards' Estuary Inclusion Garden, and spent hours planting herb and flowers in a sensory portion of the garden. “In addition to being a great chair and recruiting a terrific board, Deb can be found mulching during cleanup days at the Great Bay Community Wildlife Garden, hanging paintings for Art of Great Bay, and holding the finish line ribbon at the Great Bay 5K,” says Allison Knab, executive director for the Stewards. “I feel so lucky and grateful to work alongside her.”

Alberts was joined in receiving the award by business winner A Place to Grow, non-profit winner Blue Ocean Society, and student winner Wesley Stocken.

The Edge at Berwick opening powered by three women owned businesses

BERWICK, Maine — The Edge at Berwick, a thoughtful mixed use redevelopment of Berwick, Maine's Village by Great Falls Construction, opens this month with three women owned businesses at the helm. Located riverside just over the Maine border, The Edge will become the new envisioned commercial and residential center for Berwick.

The first three businesses to occupy the space include Primal Fit Maine, Mint Preventative Dental Spa and Badwolfe Butcher and Deli.

Primal Fit Maine, owned and operated by Sheri Clement, is a functional fitness gym offering group classes and nutritional coaching for athletes of all ages and abilities. Daily group workouts include elements of high intensity, cardio, mobility, balance, endurance and strength. Specialty classes include programming adapted to older adults of all fitness levels and Rock Steady Boxing for members managing Parkinson’s Disease.

Mint Preventative Dental Spa, owned and operated by Daniele West and Jennifer Davis, is a boutique dental experience with a patient-centered approach. Mint offers cleanings, dental xrays, periodontal therapy and whitenings and aims to tailor each appointment to your unique needs to ensure you leave feeling empowered and excited for your next visit.

Badwolfe Butcher and Deli owned and operated by Alison Herlihy, is a butcher shop supporting local farms in Maine. Additional offerings include a variety of made to order sandwiches and specials.

The Edge at Berwick will develop over the next few years to become a thriving downtown to include Berwick’s new Main Street, a total of twelve new buildings that will include approximately 40 Commercial spaces for lease and 265 rental apartments ranging from studio to two bedroom offerings. If you’re interested in joining The Edge, please check out www.jcspropmgmt.com/the-edge.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Chamber welcomes new members, new business openings: Seacoast business news