Mainebiz

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 J U N E 2 , 2 0 2 5 From the Editor I n this issue, we delve into oyster growing and potato chip making. Maine's oyster "farming" sector has grown rapidly in recent years. Maine-grown oysters had a dock value of $14.8 million last year, and you can expect to pay quite a bit more at the oyster bar. Mainebiz worked with one of our freelance pho- tographers, Jim Neuger, to document the process of growing, harvesting and serving oysters. In search of the best shot, Jim has braved foul balls and errant pucks to shoot baseball and hockey games. He's climbed a ladder on the roof of the Time & Temperature building to get just the right angle. To light a photo shoot in an alleyway, he ran an extension cord from a nearby drug store. ere's an old saying, "It took a brave man to eat the first oyster." And it took a brave photographer to get out in a small skiff on a cold spring day — all in the name of documenting the Maine oyster trade. Jim's photo essay starts on Page 12. Heading north, Aroostook County-based reporter John O'Meara looks at the con- struction of a 96,000-square-foot potato chip factory in Limestone. Interestingly, while potatoes grown in the County are processed there for french fries and value-added meals, this will be the first potato chip factory in Aroostook. Up till now, the potatoes that would be turned into chips were sent to Connecticut to a Frito-Lay plant. As John reports, there's a logical reason for processing them closer to the source: Potatoes are largely water, so once they're cooked they're a whole lot lighter — and cheaper to transport. And one of the partners in the chip-making plant is also in the trucking business, so that's what you call a win-win. e story, "Gettin' chippy," starts on Page 16. 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 Mainebiz offers the latest business news in the Daily Report and the Real Estate Insider newsletters. Here is the top content from May 13–27. 1. The Downs gets green light for $70M Town Center development 2. Scarborough relocation gives family owned furniture store more visibility 3. Recent restaurant transitions are a 'bright spot' for Portland 4. $5.5M commercial real estate deal is one of Kennebunk's largest 5. Portland sees record sale price for two- family home on Munjoy Hill 6. Gorham Bike & Ski founder retires, passes baton to longtime employee 7. Pennsylvania developer has 120 apartments under construction in Scarborough 8. Maine among top 10 states for all-cash home purchases 9. Cumberland County home prices surged in April, but not in the usual areas 10. Portland developer lays groundwork for proposed tallest building, but process could be lengthy R E N D E R I N G / C O U R T E S Y O F T H E D OW N S 1 We're attorneys. But we're people first. Meet Kat. As Chair of the Energy and Environmental Practice Group, Kat guides clients through complex permitting and regulatory challenges—most recently helping a major aquaculture facility secure approvals in Maine from start to finish. bernsteinshur.com Katherine A. Joyce Shareholder How oysters and potatoes find their way to our tables There's an old saying, 'It took a brave man to eat the first oyster.' And it took a brave photographer to get out in a small skiff on a cold spring day.

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