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V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 A U G U S T 2 3 , 2 0 2 1 From the Editor I n the past 18 months, we've seen a range of changes in Maine. People fleeing cities are moving to Maine, seek- ing out more space around them, a sense of commu- nity and a chance to work remotely or build their own business here. While this is happening throughout Maine, there's no place where those goals can be better achieved than northern Maine, which is at a defin- ing moment. In our cover story, Louisiana-Pacific is invest- ing millions of dollars to modernize its Houlton lumber mill. at's a legacy industry in Maine, but the owners of the mill recognize the need to adapt to the changing market. For many mills, it's grow or die, and it's clear Louisiana-Pacific wants to become more competitive. See Laurie Schreiber's "Mill milestone," which starts on Page 12. Another legacy industry, logging, has seen a slew of longtime workers retire in recent years. Logging has changed, and the next generation needs to learn new techniques. ankfully, as Renee Cordes reports, the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine has come up with a 12-week training pro- gram that prepares future loggers to go right into jobs. See this story and others in Renee's "Regional roundup," which starts on Page 16. Eastern Maine Development Corp. has given a lot of thought to the future in northern and eastern Maine. Earlier this summer, it released its 5-year growth plan, which cites the need to improve broadband, public transportation, climate resiliency and workforce training. e hope is to entice young people to stay and attract new residents from else- where — with an end goal, of course, of improving the economy. For more, see "Northern Maine heats up," which starts on Page 20. Loring Business Centre in Limestone tops the list of Maine's largest business and industrial parks, on Page 26. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Featured @ Mainebiz.biz For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get Maine's business news daily at mainebiz.biz and on Twitter (@Mainebiz). Below is our most popular content for the period from Aug. 2–16. 1. Finish line in sight on multiyear upgrade of Waterfront Concerts' Bangor venue 2. 3 locations, 1 package: Buyer scoops up Southern Maine warehouses for $9.4M 3. Would the federal $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, if passed, be a good thing for Maine? 4. Boston investment firm buys 90,000 acres of Somerset County timberland 5. Investor signs onto Biddeford resurgence with Main Street acquisitions 6. Hotels in Maine destinations among New England's priciest, but industry is hurting in other places 7. JAX will spend $5M to raise minimum wage for over 1,000 employees 8. In Portland, landmark 145-foot factory chimney is coming down 9. Prominent 34-year-old Portland restaurant will launch new course as eatery incubator 10. Women to Watch: Hospital CEO Crystal Landry is a health care hero on a personal mission P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F WAT E R F RO N T C O N C E R T S 1 bernsteinshur.com Be in front. BE SHUR. We're teammates who go the extra mile so you can beat the odds. Northern Maine's time to define its future A 5-year growth plan for northern and eastern Maine calls for improved broadband, public transportation, climate resiliency and workforce training.

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