The annual snapshot of the attitudes and beliefs of business decision-makers across Maine, the Minding Maine’s Business survey conducted by Critical Insights, has some good news for Cianbro this year.  For the first time, Cianbro has inched ahead of L.L. Bean as the Most Admired Maine Company, according to the 2010 survey’s 400 respondents.  The group of respondents is made up of chief decision-makers within private sector businesses in Maine, including owners, presidents, CEOs, directors and managers.  The responses were collected in March by Critical Insights, the largest independent market research firm in Northern New England and a respected analyst of public trends in Maine for nearly 20 years.

The survey asked “What one company or organization currently doing business in Maine do you most admire?”  The responses ranged from Mom & Pop grocery stores to some of the most renowned business brands in the state.  18 percent of the business leaders surveyed gave Cianbro as their choice.  Other top finishers included L.L. Bean at 17 percent, Idexx at six percent and Hannaford rounding out the top four with two percent.

“This recognition given to our company by the business leaders of the state is a reflection of the positive way in which we strive to treat our team members, our clients, and our vendors,” says Cianbro Chairman Pete Vigue.  “It also reflects Cianbro’s friendly involvement in the communities where we live and work.”

“It must be particularly gratifying for Cianbro to be identified by the largest number of business decision-makers in Maine as The Most Admired Company in the survey,” says Critical Insights President MaryEllen FitzGerald.  “A key point to remember is that the responses were completely unprompted.  Cianbro was mentioned by one in six of the respondents.  That is a considerable jump from just four years ago in 2006, and is a reflection of the increasingly favorable profile Cianbro has in the state.”

As recently as 2006, Cianbro was tied for a distant second place with Tom’s of Maine, at five percent compared to L.L. Bean’s 24 percent.