Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I I N O. X I V J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 2 2 6 $15M doled out to seafood dealers, processors Maine seafood dealers and proces- sors received a total of $15 million in grants from the state to help increase the supply of Maine- harvested seafood, strengthen the companies' ability to deliver to mar- kets and add jobs throughout the seafood industry. Gov. Janet Mills said her administration awarded the competitive grants to 107 Maine seafood dealers and processors. Businesses in every coastal county received awards. At least half of the grants were for more than $115,000. e money was made available through the Seafood Dealer and Processor COVID-19 Response and Resilience Program, established by the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan. e program draws $10 million from the Governor's Jobs Plan, $5 mil- lion from the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, and $850,000 from other federal aid. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded a $1.1 million Public Assistance grant to the Maine Department for Health and Human Services to cover the cost of provid- ing 42,505 tests to the public at 62 Walgreens locations through- out the state between August and September 2021. The Mills Administration announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has provided more than $100 million in Federal funding for child care during the pan- demic, a milestone that represents more than three times the funding provided before COVID-19. As a result of these investments, child care pro- viders have been able to maintain, and even build, capacity despite the pan- demic – from 47,819 licensed slots in February 2020 to 48,940 licensed slots in June 2022. Hatfield named to lead Avesta Housing Rebecca Hatfield has been pro- moted to president and CEO of the nonprofit Avesta Housing, succeed- ing longtime leader Dana Totman. Hatfield, who joined Avesta in 2015, has been senior vice president of real estate at the Portland-based devel- oper of affordable housing. She will move into her new role on Sept. 6. She will oversee an organization with 300 employees and a portfolio of 109 properties with 4,600 resi- dents. Avesta's scope includes real estate development, property man- agement, housing stability services and assisted living, with affordable housing at its core. Leader named for legal nonprofit Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Portland-based nonprofit legal aid B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E S O U T H E R N B R I E F After 66 years, Hammond Lumber makes first out-of-state acquisition B y W i l l i a m H a l l One of Maine's largest lumber retailers, Hammond Lumber Co., has expanded its brick-and-mortar presence outside the state for the first time with the acquisition of a building supplies company in Rochester, N.H. Hammond said it has acquired Brock's Building Materials, a family-owned company established in 1961 and that serves southern Maine and the seacoast and lakes regions of New Hampshire. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Hammond has offered employment to all of Brock's work- ers, according to a news release. The owners of Brock's, Scott and Connie Brock, will become branch manager and assistant branch manager of Hammond's new Rochester location. With the acquisition, Hammond now has nearly 900 employees and 22 locations across Maine and New Hampshire. The company, headquartered in Belgrade, is also family-owned, and dates to 1953. "We are incredibly excited to welcome the Brock's family and team. Brock's shares many of the same family-owned values as Hammond Lumber Co. and both companies are excited for this new growth opportunity," said Mike Hammond, president and CEO. "We will work collaboratively with the Brock's team with the goal of a seamless integration process for all our employ- ees, customers, and vendors. We expect there to be minimal changes to day-to-day operations for both companies and a continued focus on exceptional customer service." Hammond is the largest lumber and building materials retailer throughout Maine and New Hampshire, according to the news release, and the 21st-largest LBM dealer in the country according to the 2022 LBM Journal 100. The company's recent acquisitions have included the 2018 buy of EBS Building Supplies and the 2020 purchase of Tukey Brothers Inc., a sawmill in North Belgrade. Members of the Hammond family who are active in the day-to-day operations include Executive Vice President Don Hammond; his son, Mike Hammond, who became president and CEO in 2017; and most recently, Mike's daughters Sadie Hammond and Bethany Hammond, representing the fourth generation of the family business. P H O T O / JA S O N PA I G E S M I T H Mike Hammond is president and CEO of Hammond Lumber Co., which announced it has acquired a New Hampshire business. We expect there to be minimal changes to day-to- day operations for both companies and a continued focus on exceptional customer service. — Mike Hammond Hammond Lumber Co.

• Cover