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V O L . X X X I N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 8 , 2 0 2 5 14 S TA R T U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P F O C U S rebranding the product to highlight the company name that pays hom- age to the sounds of the domestic and wild animals that live on the farm. It's located on a former dairy farm in an area of Maine still known to locals still call Cowsh*t Corner. While the company works with a contract manufacturer in the Midwest because there's no com- parable facility in Maine, Arbuckle doesn't see that as an obstacle given the brand's Pine Tree State prov- enance: "Being a Maine brand carries a lot of weight," she says. Fresh on the heels of receiving the "Emerging Impact Award" at August's Newtopia Now trade show in Denver, Arbuckle was getting ready for a "road show" for Costco in Scarborough over Labor Day weekend with an eye on expanding into the northeast region with the discount retailer. Getting into select Whole Foods stores later in the year is also on the radar. Like Singing Pastures, Winslow- based Maine Crisp aims to stand out from the crowd. e company, staffed by 28 employees, distributes eight products to retailers and wholesalers nationally, according to CEO Lewis Goldstein. It makes three kinds of crackers and five crisps, or crackers made with nuts, seed and fruit. Goldstein gives much of the credit to the company's founder, Karen Getz, for creating the crisps more than a decade ago and "for putting all of that info out into the world in a clear, concise and appealing way from packaging to social media." e company is ramping up hiring after adding a second shift Sept. 1 as it gears up to launch crips in 100-plus Hannaford stores in coming weeks with its first-ever standalone display known in the biz as a floor shipper. In November, it will launch crisps and crackers in new flavors at some Costco stores in the Northeast. Canning all the way Back in the canned-seafood uni- verse, Joshua Scherz is a U.S. Air Force veteran who started Bela Brand Seafood in 1997 to import seafood hand-packed in extra virgin olive oil by canneries in Portugal. Seeking to revive Maine's once- thriving canning industry, Scherz has joined forces with former restaura- teur Erika Colby to launch Maine Canned Fish later this year. ey plan to source and can 100% Maine seafood, including mussels, scallops, oysters, sardines, herring and mack- erel. Scherz also aims to team with fishermen interested in canning their own products. "We are all about creating this com- munity of fishers and canners, and hope we can bring back the industry to what it once was," he says. To prepare for the launch, the company participated in the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs' new accel- erator program for consumer pack- aged goods led by Mark Ozimek, a Portland-based consultant who com- mends Scherz for building a brand grounded in authenticity. And who knows, maybe one day on Instagram, the British fish-fluencer will open a container of Maine Canned Fish for grazers around the globe to "ooh and aah" about. Renee Cordes, Mainebiz deputy editor, can be reached at rcordes @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E We offer discounted group subscriptions starting at 5 users. Ensure your team has all access to Mainebiz REACH OUT TO US AT CIRCULATION@MAINEBIZ.BIZ FOR A QUOTE P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F S I N G I N G PA S T U R E S FA R M Being a Maine brand carries a lot of weight. — Holly Arbuckle Singing Pastures P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F M A I N E C R I S P John and Holly Arbuckle, owners of Singing Pastures in Newcastle, have "disrupted" the male-dominated meat- stick industry by targeting Gen Z and millennial women. Maine Crisp in Winslow makes three kinds of crackers and five crisps.

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