Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 11 S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 2 1 include new meeting space, a student lounge and new entryways. e anony- mous gift will go toward the "Rebuild His Church" campaign, which to date has raised $2.6 million. e parish hopes to raise $3.5 million total, which will also fund upgrades at other parish sites. Construction is expected to start in spring 2022. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N The University of Maine in Orono and the University of Maine at Presque Isle received a total of $893,703 for its Education Talent Search Programs through the U.S. Department of Education to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who com- plete high school and enroll in and com- plete their postsecondary education. Northern Light Health said its Heroes, Hope, Healing McDonald's Golf Classic in support of Northern Light Pediatric Cancer Care raised $60,000. Bytes2Bits, a computer and gaming repair shop, and Happy Catz, a store specializing in cat toys, opened at 46 Parsons St. in Presque Isle. Partner with a dental insurance provider that keeps your employees happy with fast and accurate claims processing. NortheastDeltaDental.com KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES HAPPY WITH SMILE POWER! B I Z M O N E Y Bye-bye, beans. Hello, innovation hub B y R e n e e C o r d e s P ortland's iconic B&M baked bean factory site will see a major change. B&G Foods Inc. (NYSE: BGS) sold the property to make way for the campus of the Roux Institute at Northeastern University. B&G Foods, which is based in Parsippany, N.J., said it will sell the B&M factory site and the 13.5-acre waterfront prop- erty to the nonprofit Institute for Digital Engineering and Life Sciences for an undisclosed amount. Roux Institute currently leases 20,000 square feet from WEX Inc. at 100 Fore St. in Portland. The move is consistent with New England's evolution from manufacturing — in this case, the iconic regional baked beans — to become an innovation hub focused on technology and life sciences. B&M will move manufacturing operations of B&M, Underwood and some other brands to third-party co-manufacturing facilities and existing B&G Foods manufacturing facilities. The campus will include facilities for partner companies, housing and other amenities. It will be built in phases over a decade or more. It will also include coastal restoration and public access to the waterfront. "The Portland community has been the home to B&M for more than a century, and while this was a very difficult decision, we believe it is in the best interest for the future of Portland," said Casey Keller, president and CEO of B&G Foods. The Portland factory employs around 86 people. B&G Foods said it has a plan in place to offer all eligible employees severance and career transition support, and that the Roux Institute will provide further support through career connections with Maine employers, educational opportuni- ties with academic partners, and possible student pathways into Northeastern and Roux. B&G Foods also said it does not anticipate any disruption in production or the delivery of customer orders relating to the transition of manufacturing operations, which is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2021 or the first quarter of 2022. The sale is expected to close by year's end. F I L E P H O T O / W I L L I A M H A L L The Portland B&M bean factory will become a campus for Northeastern University's Roux Institute.

• Cover