White Rocks liquor arrives at the Lewiston production plant in 6,000-gallon tanker trucks and is stored outdoors in steel tanks. Paul LePage And Paul Coulombe's Public-Private Relationship With The Boothbay Peninsula . He was offended, Kaplan said. Enter your email and password to access comments. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. Mr. Coulombe, a 65-year-old liquor magnate, has spent the last 10 years pouring his fortune into upgrading the Boothbay region long known as a summer vacation spot where tourists wander. Coulombe said his only child daughter Michelle, who worked in sales at White Rock had already let him know years before that she didn't have any interest in taking over the company. The little bottling plant made low-end Gold Crown vodka, whiskey, gin and a brand of dessert wines for sale around Maine. Coulombe has gotten most of what he wants, but he has lost, too. The next morning, Whitten called and agreed to sell. Other competitors include Bacardi, which sells Grey Goose vodka, Brown-Foreman, which owns Finlandia Vodka, and Beam Global Spirits & Wine. (He and three siblings made a $1.3 million donation there in 2008 the single largest in the hospitals history that named the new emergency room after their mom, Cecile.) When he first offered to save Southports ramshackle 1777 Town Hall and wharf, townspeople turned him down. Mr. Lorrains retort is Yeah Right! Louis Coulombe was born 1641 at Neufbourg, Eveche d'Evreux, Normandie, France. Enter your email and password to access comments. Fortunately, a recently proposed amendment to Town Article 25 that would have taken away hearing residents appeals of decisions of the Code Enforcement Officer and the Planning Board was defeated at the ballot box. I was kind of afraid of the reaction. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. By the time Coulombe graduated from the University of Maine in 1975, his father had bought a rival bottler in Lewiston for $1 million, Lawrence & Co., whose sales turf included New England and Ohio. Shortly thereafter the Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation Board of Directors published a commentary in the Register with their own timeline of occurring events. Ironically enough, when his marketing team had initially pitched him on the whipped cream flavor, hed said forget it and shut his office door. Log in to join the discussion. Coulombe said he thought White Rock might sell for $50 million or $100 million. For me it was perfect. Two families donate $10.5 million to Maine Med in midst of hospitals expansion, the $534 million expansion and renovation project, Portland Planning Board clears way for Maine Meds big expansion, Lobster industry faces another deep cut in bait fish, Maine House narrowly approves local option sales tax, Storm could drop 18 inches of snow on Portland by Saturday night, Saturday storm will cause major travel problems in southern Maine, A year after record-breaking catch, value of Maine lobster landings are lowest in a decade, Nor'easter starting Friday set to end messy, stormy week, Over a century since launching its famed boots, L.L. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. To remake the golf course, Coulombe hired Bruce Hepner, a longtime associate of Tom Doak, one of the premier golf course architects in the world. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Paul LePage holds the ribbon as Boothbay Harbor Country Club owner Paul Coulombe and his wife Giselaine cut the ribbon to the clubhouse May 11. We sold more than all the other flavors combined. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. Especially with the family. I wanted to invest every dollar we ever made back in the business, that was just my philosophy. He married 30 September 1670 at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans, Ouebec to Jeanne-Marquerite Boucault (or Foucault). The company sells liquor under roughly 100 brands, including Barbarossa and Calico Jack rums, Jenkins Gin, Antigua Cruz tequila and Grand Macnish blended Scotch whisky. The towns population was 3,120 as of the 2010 Census. A drone image shows the new Boothbay Harbor Country Club and the surrounding town. That's my motivation.. They dont come to you; you have to go get them.. I was kind of stubborn being a French Canadian from Lewiston. This button displays the currently selected search type. This artists rendering shows plans for the new heliport on top of the East Tower at Maine Medical Center. 'What's he doing that for? Coulombe said he was misquoted. Paul LePage joined Boothbay Harbor Country Club owner Paul Coulombe and his wife Giselaine for the ceremony, which celebrated the completion of a $50 million project three years in the making. But for Cabana Boy, sales never offset the millions spent in advertising and start-up. They didnt marry, but Coulombe has kept in touch. Paul Coulombe, founder of Pinnacle Vodka, took out an $85 million loan to buy White Rock Distilleries and move his entire family out of the company. The same week, he fired the entire management team and named his loyal assistant president because, he said, there was no one else left to name. Like other landmarks in the area, it had been neglected, so Coulombe stepped in to save it. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. That would have been success. People were still drinking, but they were drinking at home in 08 and 09, he said. His current project: a roughly $74 million renovation and redevelopment of a local golf course that he reluctantly bought from bankruptcy for $1.4 million in 2012. Considering himself fortunate to have found success and wealth, Coulombe said it is wrong not to give back in some way to the places which helped shape him as a person and provided some of his fondest memories as a child and young adult. This is going to a treasure for years to come, and its going to be an attraction for people to come here, LePage said. Boothbays history is steeped in fishing and there are still vestiges of that in the picturesque harbor, where lobster boats with chipped paint occupy the same space as luxury yachts, including some that belong to Coulombe. In two public meetings held this spring, dozens of townspeople came armed with questions and skepticism. I spent millions of dollars in Lewiston on tanks and equipment and bottling lines. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Paul Coulombe, who was born in Maine, joined the company in 1975 as a salesman based in Columbus, Ohio. He doesnt want the Abbotts to use it and he really doesnt want the horses using it. Shortly after Coulombe bought White Rock, Three Olives sales skyrocketed with the introduction of grape and cherry vodka, said Coulombe. You can quote me on that, what a great place to pee,' Finocchiaro said. It would also benefit Coulombes interest in properties he owns and at least two of his former properties of interest. Remembering bumper to bumper traffic, stores so packed one could barely move, and lines at the sightseeing boats long enough to bump visitors to the last run, Coulombe said it is something he would like to help restore. Last spring Maine Behavioral Healthcare broke ground on a 28,000 square foot treatment, training and research facility located on the grounds of Spring Harbor Hospital. White. Already have a commenting profile? According to Impact Newsletter, a New York City-based publication covering the beer, wine and spirits industries, Pinnacle vodka was the fastest-growing premium spirit in the world in 2010, with annual growth of 38 percent based on cases shipped. And, he said, people are coming around all the time. If you already subscribe in print or online, thank you. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Kaplan says Coulombe resurrected the idea for a roundabout an idea that voters rejected only two years ago and bankrolled a study that supported changing the traffic pattern. Coulombe was born at St. Marys Regional Medical Center. He says hes doing all this for the community, but no one can afford to pay for that course or eat in his restaurant, said Sumner Lipman, an Augusta attorney and part-time Boothbay resident who has represented clients in lawsuits opposite Coulombe and who admits he has become an enemy. Two prominent Maine families have donated more than $10 million to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Don't have a commenting profile? When his time in Augusta is done, LePage said he looks forward to spending time at his home in Boothbay and playing on the course. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. Because my mother had some influence on him, apparently; mothers can do that.. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"LWW7idsfHZszr1kUM9tyd5MlbfLa9zztJf0Ld5BLNFI-1800-0"}; He knows Coulombe a little they park their boats at the same marina. Coulombe abandoned his vision of a New England style-built world class resort for a second time when the rezoning process continued to drag out with a new iteration. . Leveraging experience across the financial, pharmaceutical and high tech industries, Canvas HR Consulting offers a . With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. However, change and the communities relationship with it is only a small part of the problem; like many in the region, Coulombe said he believes affordable housing and education are the two biggest issues facing the communities. Try to find a bus driver! I suggested a limousine service instead but money could also be saved by paying a bus driver competitively well, which would not come close to seventy-seven million dollars in the cost of building such a school on this Penisula because we do not believe we can find a bus driver to transport the students to a more regionally centric location. At that rate, White Rock will sell roughly 1.8 million Pinnacle cases by the end of 2011. The construction of the clubhouse took roughly 18 months and employed more than 60 subcontractors, with up to 100 workers on site during the busiest days, Amero said. The bottling process happens on six production lines that stretch the length the plant. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Dont really have to answer to anyone.. But Bryer said he also understands that the communitys history is important to people and that change is hard. I made the same speech: Youve believed in me once, youve got to believe in me again. We have such a short season here in Maine, so it was important to get it done and open to enjoy the whole summer.. The controversy rather than the stop work order is the subject of the Boothbay Register story. Made from vodka distilled in Iowa, EPIC will be less expensive than Pinnacle and will come in new flavors, such as cookie dough, cake bread and Swedish Fish. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. The story was also unclear about Coulombes donation to the local hospital. For people opposed to change, or at least his brand of it, Coulombe said change is constantly occurring: There is no such thing as 'no change' everything ages.. His wife, Jennifer, is the daughter of Paul A. Rousseau of 137 Meeting House Hill Road, Durham, and Mary Lou Rousseau of 28 Baldwin Ave., Meriden. Thomas Coulombe Daughter: Marie-louise Delaunais (ne Coulombe) View the Record Emlie Coulombe (born Desjorlais)in MyHeritage family trees (Bourret Web Site) Emlie Coulombe (born Desjorlais) Collection: MyHeritage Family Trees Site name: Bourret Web Site Site manager: France Bourret Parents: Paul Coulombe speaks at the fundraiser he hosted for the Center of Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders at Boothbay Harbor Country Club. It was a house for a man who had established his wealth." LePage and first lady Ann LePage bought a house in East Boothbay and plan to spend much of their time there after the governors second term is over. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Mackenzie . Coulombe has had enormous success in business, and his home is a reflection of that. Gamage has had several dealings with Coulombe since and has mixed feelings about what hes done for the region. I didnt imagine that in my wildest imagination, he said. Im lucky I became CEO, he said. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Liked by Paul Coulombe Join now to see all activity Experience Regional Director, Canada, Caribbean, Latin America Wiley Efficient Learning Apr 2014 - Oct 20228 years 7 months Toronto, Canada. That was the whole company.. . The heavy trucks needed for construction also damaged the bridge onto Pratts Island, but when it came time to replace it, Coulombe footed the bill. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. Some of those efforts came through Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, youth membership to Boothbay Region YMCA, and the Coulombe Center for Health Improvement. George Whitten, a World War II veteran, raised the flag during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sign up and get the top stories to begin the day delivered to your inbox at 5 a.m. Shes on board with his long-term plans to boost economic development and grow tourism. If not, please subscribe or become an online supporter today. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. He did build that dream house an 18,000-square-foot marble complex overlooking the mouth of the Sheepscot River that took four years to complete and includes an infinity pool on the granite ledge. I didnt want to drive fancy cars or have fancy homes, I wanted to make the business as big as it could be. Despite all that variety, the unflavored bottling is still the brand's best-selling expression. He was that boss who was traveling all the time. He hit the road. I had been in business for 35 years at that time and I had never seen or witnessed anything by anyone, never mind alcohol, anything, that took off like that. Use the form below to reset your password. Hes spending his money in our town and they dont have the money to spend in our town, so theyre going after him. After Cleveland bartenders began experimenting with it in funky cherry and grape bombs (shots of the grape or cherry vodka with Red Bull) in 2004, it became the No. The Lewiston native's wealth comes from the sale of White Rock Distilleries, the business that his family purchased in 1971, when son Paul was a teenager. Login. Released last year, the whipped cream-flavored vodka can be used for such concoctions as a Vodka Cream Soda (add ginger ale) or even a Creamsicle (mix with orange juice). titled Why is the Eastside Waterfront Park not open? Their passion around the project brought together a group of community leaders and interested family member to the Boothbay Harbor Country Club to hear about the exciting project. The story was a witch hunt, she said. He flavored and bottled it in Lewiston, in bottles hand-painted in France. He. Survived by wife, Bernetta; son, Mark Coulombe; daughter, Margaret (Bill) Connelly; 2 grandchi But one flavor, Pinnacle Whipped, trumps all the rest, said Coulombe. Already registered? To get one, go to the subscriptions page. Boothbays juggernaut: If he builds it, will they come? The issue of the schools mostly speaks for itself Coulombe said of the need for the basic and expensive improvements already outlined by the Community School District. Then there are Derek and Rebecca Abbott, who own a horse stable that borders the back edge of the golf course. Editors note: Last week, three years after he sold White Rock Distilleries, Lewiston native Paul Coulombe agreed to an interview that offered us unexpected access to his Boothbay-area home, properties, history and plans. White Rock executives attribute their success to word-of-mouth marketing and the popularity of Pinnacles new whipped cream-flavored vodka. There are 30+ professionals named "Paul Coulombe", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. . In the center of the plant is a monitoring room and testing lab, where technicians measure alcohol content, and at the back at the plant is the flavor house, full of enough concentrate to flavor 25,000 cases of liquor. "In Paul's eyes," says Davis, the home "was the fruits of his labor, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the reward for all the hard work he'd spent building a brand. He laughs now, he said, when people congratulate him on his overnight success. CRANSTON - Paul A. Coulombe, 68, of Cranston died Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at the Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center, Providence.Born in Pawtucket, a son of Armand Coulombe of Pawtucket and the late Laur Use the form below to reset your password. It was hard work, but we were aggressive, Coulombe said. The 32,000-square-foot clubhouse includes a 54-seat bar with a balcony, locker rooms, a parking garage for up to 75 golf carts, heated dining terraces, and a fire pit overlooking the 18-hole golf course. Coulombe sued the couple over a right of way between their property and the course. That growth has benefited the entire brand, Suczynski said. Log in to join the discussion. Those workers whod all stayed for the ride took home a bonus worth one to two years salary. When his parents, Ray and Cecile, purchased White Rock Distilleries in 1971, the company had just three employees. .. Although some residents have objected to Coulombes plans for various reasons its too much, its too fast, its too luxurious he has mostly been able to do what he wants because everything has been on private property. Tomorrow: Life in Boothbay the mansion, the little $75 million country club project and the rub of being from away. Coulombe's business grew from three employees to over 200 employees and became one of the 25 largest businesses in Maine in 2012 with revenues that exceeded 200 million dollars per year. College kids across the country snatched up bottles of Three Olives, mixing the liquor with energy drink Red Bull to create cocktails like Grape Bombs and Cherry Bombs. So he began to spend it. White Rock generates $185 million in revenue and owns and distributes roughly 100 brands of liquor. To make room for the roundabout, Coulombe purchased the property that houses the towns ambulance service. He then hired as his golf pro Chad Penman, who previously was director of instruction at Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples, Florida ranked by Golf Digest as one of the top three courses in all of Florida and one of the top 100 courses in the country. They already had 36 flavors. Coulombedescribed White Rock as losing money and bleeding badly. He had to make that up, fast. Pinnacle is distilled five times and has more than 40 flavor variations. 1 flavored vodka in the world at the time. . You can share 5 more gift articles this month. She wanted her kids to grow up here. Everybody was talking about it. I was ready to call it quits and move on to something else; I didnt think itd be a country club. He became a part-time resident in 2008 after he bought property on Pratts Island, a small island connected to Southport, a slightly bigger island, connected by bridge to Boothbay Harbor. I couldnt believe it. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. And were right at our excuse the pun pinnacle. Coulombe had just taken out an $85 million loan to buy the rest of his family out of the company. That was really fun, nerve-wracking but fun. I said, We can do two things: I can offer you enough money to pay whatever youve got in it or I can put the range in and put a big black net around your house. Southport residents Paul and Giselaine Coulombe host local leaders to learn about the Center of Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders to open in Maine next summer, Michelle Amero, Boothbay Harbor Country Club, Paul Coulombe speaks at the fundraiser he hosted for the Center of Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders at Boothbay Harbor Country Club. Sign up and we'll deliver the top stories to begin the day to your inbox at 6 a.m. Gov. Heres why. White Rock hit 20 percent, better than average. Though he didnt disclose the price at the time, Coulombe sold the brand in 2007 for $400 million to Proximo Spirits. He gave $1.1 million to the urgent care center in Boothbay after the hospital closed. Storm could drop 18 inches of snow on Portland by Saturday night, Saturday storm will cause major travel problems in southern Maine, A year after record-breaking catch, value of Maine lobster landings are lowest in a decade, Nor'easter starting Friday set to end messy, stormy week, Over a century since launching its famed boots, L.L. Log in to join the discussion. The means to the end is easily whitewashed away. You may unsubscribe at any time. Hes clearly still a fan of the bold move and in many ways, hes now asking the people here to trust him. This artists rendering shows what the Coulombe Family Tower will look like at Maine Medical Center in Portland. In 2005, Coulombe bought out his three siblings for full control of the company. Asked why hes doing it, Coulombe said he wants Boothbay to surpass Kennebunkport or Camden or even Bar Harbor in drawing tourists with money to spend. He had grand plans and needed the geographic flexibility to execute them. Because he payed to play! Kaplan wanted to know if Coulombe was prepared to put in writing a guarantee that the town wouldnt be on the hook if something were to happen to Coulombe. Maine Gov. White Rock is not a liquor distiller. Join our email list to stay updated on all things Maine; food & drink, events & festivals, home & garden and much more. Well, my initial dream, all my life, since Ive been a little boy has been to own my own town, he told the magazine. Distillery whips the competition with its cream-flavored vodka. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Pinnacle, a lower-priced value brand, is sold in 24 flavors, including apple, cotton candy, blueberry, banana, cherry and root beer. 1 rum market in the United States. Still is today, said former White Rock owner Paul Coulombe. Weve made it a no-brainer. Ive talked with other investors and businesspeople but lot of people have turned me down because I cant convince them yet that there is a good return on investment.. Mr, Coulombes Philanthropists Profile in Maine Magazine dated 2015 merely states When he retired, he got involved in the Southport community.. LEWISTON A few years ago, youd be hard pressed to find Pinnacle Vodka at your local bar.