MEDIA ROOM
For Use At Will
February 1, 2007
First Tenant at Madison Business Gateway
Celebrates One Year Anniversary
~Madison Animal Hospital Thriving in New Business Park~
Madison
Business Gateway’s (MBG) first tenant will celebrate its one-year anniversary
next week. Dr. Darren Richards opened the Madison Animal Hospital on February
1, 2006 and so far business is booming, even exceeding Richards original expectations.
Says Richards, “I didn’t have a set
number of patients I wanted to start with, but as a general rule of
thumb it takes 1,200 to 1,500 clients to support one full time vet.
In only a year I’ve already achieved that goal.”
Richards currently sees about 2,000 animals as
patients, about two thirds of them dogs, and one third cats. He says
the majority of his clients are from the towns of Madison and Anson.
Previously, residents had to travel to Skowhegan for veterinary care
for their pets.
Richards is originally from Machias, and says
it was his dream to be able to start his own veterinary practice in
Maine. After attending the University of Maine, Richards went on to
earn his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation,
he returned to Maine and spent the next four years practicing at both
Skowhegan’s Animal Medical Clinic and the Somerset Veterinary
Clinic in Pittsfield before deciding the time was right to open his
own practice.
One
reason Richards chose Madison as the site of his practice were the amenities
already in place at MBG. Richards said he also liked the physical location.
Since it is on a main road, his business is highly visible and easily
accessible for his clients. The site was already fully serviced by underground
utilities, such as water, sewer and electricity, which also greatly
reduced his startup costs.
MBG is serviced by Madison Electric Works, which
provides rates lower than anywhere else in the state, making it attractive
to businesses such as the Madison Animal Hospital.
When Richards first opened his practice last
year, he had five people on staff, including himself. Now business has
grown so much that he plans to hire two additional part-time staff members
within the next few months.
Richards says the best part about choosing to
locate his practice in Madison has been the tremendous support he has
received from the community. “I think Madison is an area that
has a great clientele,” he says. “These are loyal people
who want to support local business, instead of taking their business
out of town. I would recommend locating a business in MBG to anyone
considering it, because the people here are so great.”
Darren Richards, V.M.D., can be reached at Madison
Animal Hospital at 207.696.5200 or at darrenr@beeline-online.net.
Madison Business Gateway, located on Route 148
in Madison, features 13 ready-to-build lots ranging from two to seven
acres. The lots also provide access to electricity at the lowest current
electric rates in New England (7.9 cents per kilowatt-hour). For more
information, contact Hamel Enterprises at 207.764.5575, e-mail bhamel@mfx.net,
or visit www.madisonbusinessgateway.com.
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Photo Caption: Darren Richards, V.M.D.
(left) and dog Spooky with Madison Town Manager Norman Dean at the site
of Madison Animal Hospital.
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