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Mills Swaps Out LePage’s ‘Open For Business’ Sign For ‘Welcome Home’

Courtesy Gov. Mills' Office

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s new governor says she’s taken down her predecessor’s "Open for Business" highway sign and replaced it with one that reads: "Maine Welcome Home."

The sign is part of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ push to attract newcomers, including immigrants and young people, to the aging, rural state. Her office says the sign was installed Thursday on the Maine Turnpike in Kittery.

The previous sign greeting drivers entering the state read: "Welcome to Maine The Way Life Should Be," above a smaller, attached sign that read: "Open for Business."

Republican Gov. Paul LePage put up the "Open for Business" sign shortly after taking office.

Mills’ office says that installation costs were minimal and that the sign was due for replacement. The new sign is made of recycled aluminum from previous signs.