Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 11 M AY 1 9 , 2 0 2 5 The M&T Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M&T Bank, awarded $40,000 to ProsperityME to provide financial education to new Mainers. Past + Future Craft Exchange, a retailer offering secondhand and new textile craft supplies, classes and community events, moved to 506 Main St. in Westbrook. Zachau Construction in Freeport announced a transition to a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Zachau joins nearly 90 compa- nies across Maine that have adopted an ESOP. In Maine, ESOP companies employ more than 8,500 people. Jamie Wright, the founder and owner of Gorham Bike & Ski, announced his retirement and the transition of ownership to longtime employee and friend, Dan Vaillancourt of Saco. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Wright founded Gorham Bike & Ski in 1995, launching the business from a small storefront in downtown Gorham. Today, the re- tailer no longer has a Gorham store, but it is in five Maine locations: Waterville, Brunswick, Portland, Saco and Wells. Boutique hotel opens in Skowhegan Kasa hotel group opened a 20-bed boutique hotel in the redeveloped Spinning Mill in Skowhegan. e Skowhegan by Kasa will be part of an overall redevelop- ment of the old Spinning Mill, which had a long history as a textile mill and manufacturing site, built along the Kennebec River. e 80,000-square-foot mill was renovated by Bangor- based High Tide Capital. Pike Project Development, which has repurposed multiple prop- erties in Orono and Bangor as well, was the general contrac- tor. Renovations had a setback in December 2023, when storm- waters flooded the Kennebec River. At the time, developer Dash Davidson, with High Tide Capital, told Mainebiz that the basement took on five feet of water and caused an estimated $3 million in damage. In addition to the Kasa hotel, the circa 1922 Spinning Mill will be home to 41 residential units, office space and a fitness center. A 5,000-square- foot rooftop deck overlooks the Kennebec River and dam. N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N The Avangrid Foundation, the philan- thropic arm of Avangrid Inc., donated $100,000 to help purchase Derrick Digger Truck for use by students en- rolled in Kennebec Valley Community College's Electrical Lineworker Technology Program. Healthy Communities of the Capital Area in Hallowell announced that Longfellow Elementary, Lincoln Middle and Deering High School in Portland, Montello Elementary School in Lewiston and Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta were selected for the 2025–2026 Maine Farm & Sea to School Institute, a year-long professional development program supporting schools in build- ing strong, sustainable Farm & Sea to School programs. Partners Bank in Sanford said it is donating a total of $30,000 to 14 animal rescues located in its ser- vice area in May as part of National Pet Month. The bank also donated $10,000 to the Henry Strater's Ogunquit exhibition at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art. Norway Savings Bank announced a $30,000 multiyear commitment to Lights Out Gallery, a nonprofit arts hub in Norway. The bank also donated $120,000 to the NorthStar 4-H Youth Mentoring Program to allow students at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School and Oxford Hills Middle School to participate in the program starting in September. The Maine Resiliency Center in Lewiston received an $8.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime, supported through Office for Victims of Crime's Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program. The grant will go toward providing support to those affected by the October 25, 2023 mass shootings in Lewiston. Owner John Veit Atlantic Limousine of Maine Scarborough Applies to loan amounts under $100,000. Minimum credit score of 650 required. Loans must be repaid through a qualified SBSI deposit account using Automatic Funds Transfer. New equipment purchases require a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 90% or better. Used equipment purchases require an LTV of 80% or better. Three-day turnaround begins with the receipt of a completed application. An application is considered complete when the Bank has received: tax return representing a full calendar/fiscal year of operations; personal financial statement; appropriate disclosures; corporate documents (may vary depending on applicant). Three-day turnaround excludes non-business days and holidays. If Saco & Biddeford Savings is unable to meet the three-day turnaround guarantee, applicant will be eligible to receive a credit of $150 at time of closing. APPLY NOW C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N

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