Business and Economy

Business news

Maine Waste Processing Facility Nearly Ready For Business

By • May 28, 2019

HAMPDEN, Maine - A commercial waste-processing facility is due to begin operations more than a year after it was originally expected to go into service.

New Maine Law Calls For More Advance Notice Of Major Layoffs

By • May 28, 2019

AUGUSTA, Maine - A newly signed Maine law calls for more advance notice of major layoffs or relocations.   The Democrat-sponsored legislation only applies to such businesses that employ at least 100 people.

Study: Maine Beer Makers Add $2 Billion Each Year To State’s Economy

By Lori Valigra - Bangor Daily News • May 26, 2019
CAROLINE LOSNECK / For Maine Public

The beer industry contributes $2 billion to Maine’s economy each year and supports 15,531 jobs in the state, a new economic impact study found.

Maine Natural Gas Company Wants To Turn Cow Manure Into Renewable Energy

By • May 24, 2019
Jessica Carter / Summit

Summit Utilities, which operates Summit Natural Gas of Maine, is building what is called a "Dairy Digester" in the Kennebec County town of Clinton. The company is investing about $20 million into the project.

Mills Criticizes Trump Administration's Aggressive Implementation Of Tariffs

By • May 24, 2019
Robert F. Bukaty / AP Photo

With trade tensions escalating between the United States and China and a growing economic toll on Maine businesses — particularly lobster dealers — Gov. Janet Mills is emphasizing international trade as a vital part of the state's future.

Three Years After Voters Legalized Marijuana, Maine Develops Plan To Begin Sales

By • May 23, 2019
Robert F. Bukaty / AP Photo

Nearly three years after Maine voters approved the legal growth and sale of adult-use marijuana, the state has finally developed a plan to begin commercial sales.

From Carp to Pig-Hide: Bait Shortage Means Change for Lobsters’ Diet

By • May 23, 2019
Madelyn Beck / Harvest Public Media

Gulf of Maine lobstermen are casting around far and wide for new kinds of bait, now that federal regulators have cut herring quotas by 70 percent. Possible solutions range from the mass importation of a nuisance fish from the Midwest, to manufactured baits to pig hides.

Maine Tax On Poland Spring Rejected In Committee

By • May 22, 2019

A Maine legislative committee has voted against a bill to tax water bottler Poland Spring.

Mills Says State Needs A Far-Reaching Economic Development Plan

By • May 21, 2019
Mal Leary / Maine Public

Maine Gov. Janet Mills' administration is embarking on an effort to develop a far-reaching, ten-year economic plan for the state.

How A Chinese Company Plans To Revitalize 2 Struggling Maine Mills

By Lori Valigra — BDN • May 21, 2019
Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press file

A Chinese company is investing heavily to restore two Maine paper mills it bought last year and turn them into sustainable, long-term businesses.

After Yearlong Delay, Hampden Waste Facility Expects Full Operations By July 1

By Charles Eichacker - Bangor Daily News • May 20, 2019
Gabor Degre / BDN

A new waste processing facility in Hampden is finally accepting some deliveries of garbage and recycling from communities across eastern, central and northern Maine, more than a full year after it was originally expected to open.

Maine Unemployment Remains Low As Long Stretch Continues

By • May 20, 2019

The unemployment rate in Maine continues to hold steady at a little more than 3 percent amid a record-setting stretch of low joblessness.

Weddings Contribute Estimated $937 Million To Maine Economy

By • May 20, 2019
Jamie Sanford / Flickr Creative Commons

The wedding industry is a multi-million dollar economic driver in Maine, according to a new economic analysis conducted by the University of Southern Maine.

Maine's Unemployment Rate Remains Steady In April

By • May 17, 2019

Unemployment in most of Maine stayed steady last month, at 3.5 percent. New numbers from the state's Department of Labor say Maine has also gained about 3,000 non-farm jobs in the last year, mostly in retail and manufacturing, and lost the most jobs in mining, logging, and construction. 

Publishing: How To Get Your Writing Picked Up

By • May 17, 2019
hagengraf / Flickr/Creative Commons

Our panel examines the ins and outs of the publishing industry, including: honing writing skills, finding an agent, getting published, and the business of bookselling. We’ll also hear about how bookstores determine which books to feature, and why.


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