The Portland-based gift and stationery store Annie|Catherine was one of seven exhibitors awarded the highest sustainability status at this year’s New York International Gift Fair. The store produces all of its products in Maine and prints its cards on FSC-certified paper in a plant whose electricity is generated entirely by wind power.
anniecatherine.com

One of the largest fair-trade organizations in the world opened its first Maine location on Exchange Street in downtown Portland in August. Ten Thousand Villages sells gifts, jewelry, home decor, and more made by artisans from around the world. The company pays fair prices to underprivileged workers in 35 different countries, helping the artisans to grow their businesses.
tenthousandvillages.com

Bruce John Riddell, an award-winning landscape architect, is opening a new office in Boothbay to better serve clients throughout coastal Maine and the greater New England area. He specializes in residential garden design, but he’s also done award-winning work in public gardens like the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Riddell will continue to maintain his office in Bar Harbor.
landartdesigner.com

Portland-based architect Jesse Thompson of Kaplan Thompson Architects has been named a winner in the 2011 myMarvin Architect’s Challenge. In the design of a durable and affordable farmhouse in Sweden, Maine, Thompson made excellent use of local woods and high-quality thermal insulation.
kaplanthompson.com

Great Harbor Boatworks president and master boatbuilder Richard Stanley has received the Traditional Arts Fellowship award from the Maine Arts Commission. The jury of traditional arts specialists recognized Stanley’s work as representing values and practices passed down through generations.
greatharborboatworks.com