Maine International Trade Center (MITC) announced today the winners of the 2026 International Trade and Investment Awards.
Last year, Maine companies exported $3.2 billion in goods. Top international markets for Maine exports are Canada, the European Union, and China. International trade supports 1 in 5 (170,300) Maine jobs, and 84% of Maine exporters are small and medium-sized businesses.
“Our 2026 award winners are an extraordinary group of organizations and individuals who represent the best of Maine through global partnerships, innovation leadership, and workforce development,” said Wade Merritt, MITC President and State Director of International Trade. “We’re privileged to share their stories and celebrate their successes at Trade Day 2026.”
Exporter of the Year: Ocean’s Balance (Biddeford, ME)
The Exporter of the Year Award is presented to a manufacturer that has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to international trade through increased exports.
Ocean’s Balance is a leading seaweed ingredient producer that is working to make the oceans a more significant part of global food production. Founded in 2016, the company has seen continuous growth as the demand for seaweed has increased, with a global market currently valued at just under $20 billion. Ocean’s Balance produces retail products like seaweed seasonings and powders for smoothies and supplies seaweed ingredients to manufacturers across food, pet products, and dietary supplements. Currently, 35% of the company’s business is international, and that number continues to expand. Some of its top export markets include China, Mexico, Canada and the UK. CEO Mitchell Lench has emerged as a leading voice in Maine’s seaweed industry, bringing together stakeholders to ensure Maine maintains its position as the nation’s top seaweed producer. The company manufactures seaweed products for approximately 12 consumer brands using their state-of-the-art kelp dehydrator and other processing equipment that supports both internal production and contract manufacturing.
Innovator of the Year: 3rd Planet Innovation (Orono, ME)
The Innovator of the Year Award is presented to a company or organization in Maine that has accessed international markets through new and innovative processes or products.
3rd Planet Innovation (formerly Paramount Planet Product) in Orono wants to eliminate plastic pollution and change the way the world views packaging. Ariadne Dimoula, an ocean researcher, and her mother, Claudia Lowd, a pulp and paper engineer, started the company in 2017 to develop cellulose technologies for making products that would be compostable within the ocean and safe for marine life. In 2024, they received a $1 million federal grant that helped them develop packaging prototypes. They ran product trials overseas in Sweden and are in discussions with companies in Canada, Mexico, and Europe who are interested in their technology and products. 3rd Planet Innovation is now seeking partners to manufacture their cellulose-based products that include spoons, knives, cups, and straws, as well as the potential of licensing their technology and expertise to international companies.
Service Provider of the Year: Maine Maritime Academy (Castine, ME)
The Service Provider of the Year Award is presented to a service provider that has established an international presence for the export of their service.
Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) in Castine serves 950 students interested in marine focused careers. MMA students become world-class mariners and engineers, supply chain managers, logistics professionals, and scientists. A new $330 million training ship will reach Maine this spring and be used by cadets for international sea-time training. Graduates work across Maine and around the globe. The job-placement rate for MMA graduates is above 90%, and a strong alumni network helps connect graduates with jobs that take them all over the world. MMA is also growing its workforce development footprint in Maine by creating the Maritime Industrial Workforce Training Center at Brunswick Landing. Once full capacity is reached, the center could add up to 1,000 new skilled tradespeople to the workforce each year.
Investor of the Year: The Roux Institute at Northeastern University (Portland, ME)
The Investor of the Year Award is presented to recognize an entity that has made a significant investment to advance Maine’s globalization, including international assets of capital, ideas, and talent.
In the six years since Northeastern University’s Roux Institute launched, it has enrolled more than 1,500 students from 25 countries, trained 4,655 partner employees, fostered 140 startups, and received $40 million in external grant funding. The Roux Institute was founded with a goal of bringing together learning, research, and entrepreneurship to train the next generation of workers for the innovation economy. The Roux Institute has also partnered with 203 Maine companies to provide experiential learning for its students. Work on the new Portland campus is well underway at the 13.5-acre site (former home of the B&M Baked Bean cannery) and will include state-of-the-art education and research buildings and publicly accessible green space.
Two individual awards are also being presented by MITC this year.
Sheila Adams will receive the 2026 President’s Award, given to an individual or organization which has displayed exceptional support to the Maine International Trade Center. Adams is the Vice Chair of the MITC Board of Directors and has been instrumental in leading two important projects to improve MITC’s ability to serve Maine companies.
Madison Johnson will receive the 2026 Future Global Leader Award, which recognizes the exceptional work of a MITC intern. During her time at MITC, Johnson conducted research to update MITC’s website content and engaged confidently with business executives and board members. After graduating from the University of Maine last May, Johnson accepted a position at Bank of America in Maine.
All of the award winners will be honored during Trade Day 2026 on May 5th from 4:00 – 8:00 pm at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, ME. The event includes a networking reception, a keynote presentation, and the annual awards ceremony. This year’s keynote speaker is Deborah Bronk, PhD, President and CEO and Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.
Learn more and register at https://www.mitc.com/education-events/trade-day-2026/