Hastings says he loves chamber work, that it's "his calling." It shows. Last November, the Maine State Chamber named him Chamber Director of the Year. It's easy to see why.
His arrival in 2002 to lead the Rockland-Thomaston Area Chamber of Commerce certainly coincided with explosive changes in the area's economic development and political profile. Notably, under Hastings' leadership, a chamber which had never before taken a political position developed a significant political voice. "I told the board of directors not to hire me," said Hastings, "unless they were willing to let me fight for business rights in Augusta -- and even in Washington, if necessary."
"When I came to interview for this job," he said, "there were 20 empty stores downtown." Cruise ship traffic ignored Rockland's fabled harbor, and passenger rail tracks were weed-choked from decades of disuse. Still, Hastings sensed that Rockland was ripe for a renaissance, and he was itching to meet the challenge. He felt so strongly that he declined several more prestigious and lucrative positions in order to do so.
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Once here, he soon discovered he'd misjudged the business climate in Maine. "I was really startled at how many obstacles Augusta creates for business in this state." It continues to be a major frustration for him.
"The one good thing that came out of Augusta," Hastings believes, "was Pine Tree Zones." Originally created for use in northern Maine, Hastings found a way to acquire the valuable status for the Midcoast region. "It was critical," he asserts, "because the benefits are so rich. Without it, I knew we'd be absolutely dead in the water for any economic development. It's created opportunities for local businesses to expand and add employees. Now, out-of-state businesses return my calls. I was pleased to be the one to glue together eight different communities into the Midcoast Pine Tree Zone."
Hastings revels in the analogy of being the guy who glues things together. As founder and managing director of the Maine Lighthouse Museum, he spearheaded the task of "gluing together" eight nonprofit organizations to establish the world-class Gateway Visitor Center. Benefiting the entire community and enhancing business opportunities for everyone in the region, it houses the finest lighthouse collection in America, if not the world.
More glue: He convinced the Wells-based Lighthouse Depot, the single-largest retailer of lighthouse gifts in the world, to open a store within the center. Hastings calls this a "fabulous partnership."
Work on the final 5,500 square feet of the museum will be completed by June. Hastings says raising $1.3 million to get the museum open was accomplished quietly. "But," he says, "we're about half-a-million dollars short of the goal to complete the museum. We still need philanthropic support-both corporate and local-to get us there."
Success sticks to Bob Hastings' visions. Today, Rockland is the third-busiest cruise port in Maine. He worked with Maine Eastern Railroad to get the rail service restored-a year early. Still in "glue" mode, he's at the forefront of a movement to consolidate local chambers into a single regional chamber. "I think without question it would be in the long-term best interest of our region to have merged chambers. The economics will work," he says. Hastings keeps his glue guns loaded. It will be fun to see where he aims next.
