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 S E P T E M B E R 8 , 2 0 2 5 From the Editor A s pointed out in the introduction to the Startups/Entrepreneurship focus section, Maine has 160,215 small businesses, which is 99.2% of all Maine businesses. e small-but-mighty businesses, with 290,518 employees, make up 54.5% of Maine's total workforce. Nothing to sneeze at, but there is something to snack about. Maine snack food makers are just a few of the entrepreneurs contributing to the state's small-business makeup, as Deputy Editor Renee Cordes illustrates. Gen Z buyers are snacking at a greater rate than previous generations — and Maine companies like Singing Pastures, Harvest Maine and Maine Crisp are jumping into the market. Renee's cover story, "Maine snack attack," starts on Page 10. Startup growth is increasingly being driven by collaborations with higher ed, as Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber reports. One such collaboration is between the University of Southern Maine and the New England Ocean Cluster. Laurie's story, "More startup incubators start up," starts on Page 16. North Spore, a Cumberland- based mushroom cultivation business, tops the list of largest Maine Technology Institute investments. e list is on Page 26. 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 Get all the latest business news in Maine from the Mainebiz Daily Report and Real Estate Insider newsletters. Here is the top content from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2: 1. British fashion brand to shutter all 3 Maine stores amid US exit 2. A Kennebunkport oceanfront home sells for $12M — in 90 minutes 3. Recently completed 45-unit residential complex in Cumberland to be auctioned 4. Amazon's first Maine location opens for business in Caribou 5. NYC developer plans conversion of Kittery motel into affordable rentals 6. Hire ground: Northern Maine employers hustle to attract — and keep — workers 7. Project underway will add 200 apartments in Portland's West Bayside neighborhood 8. Made in Maine: Sea Bags sets sail with sustainability as a key trait 9. Gorham agrees to sell Amazon 94 acres for $4 million — but it's just a first step 10. In taking on Kennebunk's White Barn Inn, new owner touts 'iconic status' P H O T O / R E N E E C O R D E S 1 We're attorneys. But we're people first. Meet Helen. She guides start-ups throughout their business life-cycle: from assisting founders with company formation and navigating rounds of financing to negotiating exits, and everything in between. bernsteinshur.com Helen Sterling Coburn Shareholder Don't count out Maine's small businesses Small businesses, with 290,518 employees, make up 54.5% of Maine's total workforce.

• Cover