MDF and Maine Entreprenuers Featured in Wall Street Journal Article

MDF’s Maine Downtown Center Senior Program Director, Anne Ball was among the Maine subject matter experts and business owners quoted in an in-depth Wall Street Jounral article, “The Math Problem Stymieing Small Businesses in Rural America”.

Through the story of Amber Lambke of Skowhegan and her company, Maine Grains, the piece highlights the challenge many rural entrepreneurs and small businesses face when trying to find space to operate and/or expand. Here’s an excerpt:

“Low valuations and a lack of recent comparable sales affect both commercial and residential appraisals, with spillover effects for local businesses. They make it tough for rural entrepreneurs to tap home equity, a common form of startup financing, or use their homes as collateral for a small-business loan. They also create roadblocks for developers seeking to build new homes to retain and attract new residents and hamper wealth-building in rural areas.

‘It’s disheartening,’ said Anne Ball, program director of the Maine Development Foundation, a nonprofit working on rural economic development in the state. ‘Amber is the poster child of a really successful businesswoman with a successful business solving important food issues.’ The challenges facing rural entrepreneurs such as Lambke will only increase as inflation and rising wages widen the gap between the cost of new projects and the value of existing properties, Ball said.”

Seafood industry contributes $3.2B a year to the Maine economy, report says

A new report out by the SEA Maine (Seafood Economic Accelerator) initiative, in which MDF is a key partner and staffs, highlights how critical the seafood industry is to Maine’s overall economy and workforce. Key findings of the report are featured in a comprehensive article in Mainebiz.

The sector supported over 33,300 jobs statewide in 2019, including 23,846 in sector industries and 7,300 additional jobs supported by other indirect and induced multiplier effects. 

The study focused on 2019, before the pandemic. It concludes that continual updating and improvement of economic data should be a priority for the industry and policymakers. 

“We need to embrace these opportunities and educate people on the resiliency of this resource we have here in Maine and show how we are poised for economic growth,” said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and a SEA Maine Advisory member. 

Funding opportunities for Area Youth Sports building discussed with Congressional staff

MDF’s Erica Watson, Program Director for Education & Workforce Development, is among the leaders featured in this article from the Lewiston Sun Journal on innovative, practical collaborations to meet the moment as communities around Maine grapple with shifting economic changes. Robyn Raymond, an alumnus of MDF’s ICL (Institute for Civic Leadership) and Exec. Dir. of Spruce Mountain Adult Education, MDF’s 2022 Champion of Education & Workforce Development Award winner, is also featured.

Read the full article.

New act for forest products: Manufacturers find new uses for Maine’s vast forest resource

MDF’s Program Director for the FOR/Maine (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) initiative, Bri Bowman, and other leaders Maine’s forest economy initiative are featured in this Mainebiz article. It highlights the many innovative and sustainable Maine products that are helping grow Maine’s forest economy and the communities who depend on it. “Our goal is to grow and diversify Maine’s forest economy, to build resilience in the industry and to support rural communities where manufacturing and natural resource-based jobs are located,” says Brianna Bowman, program director for FOR/Maine. FOR/Maine’s work includes “global matchmaking” for companies interested in Maine’s resource. “We’ve tuned in to a massive global demand,” Bowman says.

Read the article

Economic Indicator in Focus: Racial Income Equity

In honor of Black History Month, Maine State Museum shared the story of Eliza Griffin, an entrepreneur who lived on Malaga Island off Phippsburg in the early 1900s.  

“Eliza Griffin’s home was once a ship’s cabin. To earn a living, she took in laundry from hotels and mainland families. In 1909 a journalist wrote that Eliza was very successful at her laundry business and brought in more money than the fishermen. Eliza would have washed all the laundry by hand. Many buttons were found at her house archaeological site and on the nearby beach. … The 2012 exhibition ‘Malaga Island, Fragmented Lives’ marked the 100th anniversary of Maine state government’s eviction of impoverished, mixed-race residents from their homes on Phippsburg’s Malaga Island. The exhibit is now closed. But, you can continue to explore the island’s history through the museum’s website, which includes a variety of historical photographs and pictures of artifacts, as well as detailed information about Malaga Island and its people.” – Maine State Museum

Imagine what Eliza, fellow members/business owners of the Malaga Island community, and Mainers of Color could have achieved and contributed if they had been able to thrive and prosper in a truly equitable and inclusive Maine culture and economy?  

Efforts to build and sustain such a culture and economy are underway in earnest, and require ongoing broad, deep, and long-term systemic change. The independent, non-partisan Maine Economic Growth Council, which MDF staffs and works with to produce the annual Measures of Growth Report, strongly believes that Maine will need the contributions of every resident to achieve a vibrant, sustainable economy. Increasing prosperity is not true progress unless it is equitably shared.   

For example, consider our Racial Income Equity Indicator, as highlighted in the 2022 Measures of Growth Report. “From 2016-2020, the average incomes of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and Latino or Hispanic Mainers rose 3% but remained 33% below white Mainers, dramatically short of full equity. The average per-capita income of BIPOC and Latino or Hispanic Maine residents (7% of the Maine population) was $22,851. That is 66% of the $34,642 average for White, non-Hispanic Maine residents (93% of the state’s population).”  

This stark racial/ethnic income disparity is similar to that of New England and the United States. To counter it, Maine must improve access to training and education for residents of color, better support their communities and businesses, and address cultural biases and systemic disadvantages.  

We hope you will dig into the data behind this Indicator and how it intersects with other critical indicators and Maine’s economy as a whole. Visit the Measures of Growth section of our website where you can see all 31 Indicators we featured in 2022, as well past issued of the report dating back to 2010.

Houlton joins project to boost small business innovation

MDF’s Anne Ball, Senior Program Director for Maine Downtown Center is featured in this Bangor Daily News article on the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem initiative. Houlton and nine other Maine communities are participating with guidance and support from MDF’s Maine Downtown Center team in partnership with the national Maine Street America organization.

Read the full article.

Heart of Biddeford Earns National 2022 Great American Main Street Award

CHICAGO, IL (May 16, 2022) – Main Street America announced today that Heart of Biddeford in Biddeford, Maine has received the prestigious Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA), which recognizes communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. The 2022 GAMSA designations, sponsored by The Hartford, were presented at the opening plenary for the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, VA.

Selected by a national jury of community development professionals and leaders in the fields of economic development and historic preservation, Heart of Biddeford is being recognized for their vibrant small business environment and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“Biddeford proves that equity and inclusion are the future of the Main Street movement,” said Main Street America President and CEO, Patrice Frey. “Their work with Black-owned businesses, formerly-incarcerated people, English Language Learners, and other groups has enriched the culture of the district and brought lasting economic change.”

For many years, Biddeford was colloquially known as “Trashtown” due to the presence of a large incinerator in the downtown mill district. The area was known for the heavy garbage trucks that regularly rolled into town and the unhealthy smoke that filled the air. Today, downtown Biddeford is known as a quintessential New England town. From a 4th generation bakery and the oldest diner in Maine to a thriving parks program and engaging annual festivals, Biddeford offers all the pleasures of coastal living with a growing array of amenities, cultural attractions, green space, and business opportunities.

Revitalization work led by the Heart of Biddeford organization began in 2004 with a focus on creating opportunities to bring people downtown through events and beautification initiatives. Becoming an accredited Main Street America program (2007), leading the Downtown Master Planning Process (2009-2011), and successfully advocating for the closure of the incinerator (2012) accelerated the organization’s efforts. With the support of forward-thinking city council and staff, redevelopment of the historic mill district spaces into residential and commercial spaces contributed to the positive transformation of downtown. Today the district’s 4.5% commercial vacancy rate is an additional point of pride and drastic improvement compared to 20.7% in 2006.

Heart of Biddeford’s continued success is made possible through their commitment to creating places of shared prosperity, equal access to opportunity, and inclusive engagement across all four points of the Main Street Approach. Notable examples of this commitment include partnering with veterans’ organizations to host parades downtown, hosting monthly meet-ups for female entrepreneurs, collaborating with Black Owned Maine to increase the organization’s capacity to incubate and promote Black-owned businesses in the district, and raising the inaugural Pride flag in the city.

“This is a huge honor for Heart of Biddeford, and we accept this award on behalf of thousands of volunteers, our municipal, cultural and service partners, and the business community,” said Delilah Poupore, Executive Director at Heart of Biddeford. “While we hope to become more inclusive and sustainable over time, we are very proud of our efforts to innovate during challenging times and to work in a connected way toward a common vision.”

Additional points of pride that have earned Heart of Biddeford GAMSA status include its commitment to historic preservation and community-based efforts that share the full story of their town and reinforce the sense of place that makes Biddeford unique. Heart of Biddeford’s partnerships with former mill workers and “Secret Spaces, Hidden Places” mill district tours ensures that future generations understand and appreciate the city’s rich heritage. Concurrently façade improvement grants and small-scale development projects have invested in its future by transforming once neglected spaces into attractive places to live and work. 

“We are so proud of Heart of Biddeford for earning a GAMSA,” said Anne Ball, Program Director at Maine Development Foundation . “They are an open and welcoming community and embrace their past while welcoming newcomers to their wonderful historic mill town. They are an exceptional statewide leader, and we learn from them every day.”

FOR/Maine and Maine Development Foundation Announce Final Phase of Grants for Mill Site Redevelopment in Five Maine Communities

HALLOWELL, ME – February 2, 2022 – FOR/Maine (Maine’s Forest Opportunity Roadmap) – a broad coalition working to diversify the state’s wood-products businesses, attract capital investments, and develop greater economic prosperity for rural communities – and Maine Development Foundation (MDF) are pleased to announce the final phase of grants to five Maine communities impacted by mill closures.

This final $120,000 in funding brings the total amount awarded through the Increasing Prosperity for Maine’s Forest Economy Communities subgrant program to $1.2 million. The funds support redevelopment projects deemed catalytic for the next generation of forest products, especially during the critical transition in global markets. Funding was made possible by awards from the federal Northern Border Regional Commission and the Maine Rural Development Authority.

“This is a model for future work that can be replicated to continue transitioning these economies and make them more diverse and sustainable,” says Charlie Spies, FOR/Maine Communities Committee Chair, and retired CEO of CEI Capital Management. “This approach proves that a coordinated and concerted effort that focuses on regional needs rather than just one group or community can lift all ships and revive century-old, forest-based economies throughout Maine.”

This final round of investment in forest product assets is part of a process that has had fundamental impact on economic revitalization:

  • Ashland – $20,000 to conduct engineering studies that will help prepare a 94-acre, former manufacturing campus for a new generation of industrial uses.
  • East Millinocket – $30,000 to complete site planning on a vast section of greenfields on the Penobscot River as part of the redevelopment of the 215-acre former Great Northern Paper site.
  • Lincoln – $20,000 to update Maine Department of Environmental Protection permits for several facilities in the former Lincoln Paper & Tissue campus to be repurposed for modern uses.
  • Madison – $30,000 to update the engineering study and business model for industrial-grade waste-water processing at the former Madison Paper complex to convert agricultural and municipal waste into a renewable natural gas and power Timber HD’s nearby factory.
  • Millinocket – $20,000 for electrical and heating studies of latent buildings in the Great Northern Paper complex to help determine future repurposing options.

“We are so grateful for the ongoing critical funding to make East Millinocket an even better place to live and work,” says Angela Cote, Administrative Assistant to the East Millinocket Selectboard. “We appreciate the tireless efforts of MDF to assist municipalities hit hardest by the closure of paper mills over the past several years. MDF’s collaboration with the Northern Border Regional Commission and the Maine Rural Development Authority has resulted in direct funding to help former mill towns rebuild.”

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and Maine Rural Development Authority (MRDA) fund the grant program. They program is administered by the Maine Development Foundation, which staffs the FOR/Maine coalition and is a key partner in the coalition’s work.

“We are excited to play a role in funding this group of projects, and to see these funds go to support innovative efforts to diversify Maine’s forest-economy communities,” says NBRC Executive Director Rich Grogan. “It is also crucial that these investments support new forest products, furthering this industry’s rich tradition in Maine, and across the NBRC region.”

“The forest-products industry has been a critical economic contributor to rural Maine communities for generations, and with the right investments, it can continue to play a vital role in our state for years to come,” said Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Congressman Jared Golden in a joint statement. “The work of the industry-led FOR/Maine initiative has helped position this sector for continued success, and investments in these communities will bolster the development of new sustainable forest products, help support good quality jobs in each region, and take important steps toward our shared goal of revitalizing Maine’s forest economy.”