October 23, 2014 — Carlos Quijano grew up primarily in New York, but developed an early and deep relationship with Maine from visits to his grandparents’ Lincolnville farm. After spending more than 20 years with Chase Manhattan Bank, primarily in Europe and Asia, he retired in the late 1980s and moved to Maine.
When a friend mentioned that a mussel farm was having trouble disposing of its waste because a composting operation wasn’t working well, Quijano – an avid gardener and compost user – offered to take a look. What he saw inspired him to form Coast of Maine Organic Products in 1996 to make and market organic compost created, in part, with shellfish waste. Lobster shells are rich in nitrogen and chitin, which helps the composting process.
The company is wrapping up the year with sales up about 16 percent over last year, Quijano said, and is looking to expand. It formed a partnership with a composter in Michigan and is looking at expanding into the mid-Atlantic states and may add a satellite composting space in southern Maine. Coast of Maine Organic Products has about 10 full-time employees and adds a seasonal staff of another seven or eight in the spring.
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