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V O L . X X X I N O. X X I V O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 2 5 20 M A N U FA C T U R I N G / I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E F O C U S 'Doing business in Portland is very expensive' Maine is a good state for coffee sellers, as consumption here ranks among the top 10 states. But Lindemann says doing business in Maine's largest city is costly. "It's very expensive to run a small business in Portland right now. And with the tariffs, it's like a perfect storm." Her building at 1 Diamond St. houses the roastery and a cafe. e building has a total of 44,000 square feet, but she leases half to Youngs Furniture. Under Portland's recent revaluation, the assessed value increased by $1 million and her new property tax bill is $55,000 a year. She also pays a tax on equipment, chairs and tables. "No small businesses are getting rich," Lindemann says. Growers grapple with climate change A warming climate is making it harder for some growers to see a future in farming. "We're at a tipping point," Lindemann says. She fears they'll plant more profitable crops such as eucalyptus, which leads to other environmental consequences. Coffee By Design has gone so far as to front partial payment to one farmer, for three years, to ensure he can continue to grow coffee. "e two biggest issues for coffee growers are climate change and money," Lindemann says. "We need the con- sumer to understand that we have this incredible gift of coffee — and farmers need our support. You won't have coffee if you don't invest in the farmer." Customer base is expanding On the upside, cafe traffic grew 30% this summer. "We've never seen that before; it seemed to be visitors from around the country," Lindemann says. e customer base skews to well-educated women, particularly ages 55 and up. Mail-order traffic has increased, too, especially in North Carolina and Atlanta. Lindemann attributes the bump to being crowned "Roaster of the Year" in 2020 by Roast magazine and being named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for 2025. To expand the product line, Coffee By Design recently launched a canned beverage, called 1994 Chilled. Lindemann thinks the company's core mission of supporting growers is a driver, too. "Being a farmer-focused, woman- owned, Maine business; customers are responding to that and the fact that we're investing in communities both locally and globally," she says. "I don't like raising my prices. I want coffee to be affordable to all people. But we need to fulfill what we think is an important mission — sup- porting growers and giving back to our community in Maine. "We don't need a pat on the back, we just want to stay in business." Tina Fischer, Mainebiz staff writer, can be reached at tfischer @ 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 (207) 282-7697 | ncormier@pmconstruction.com | www.pmconstruction.com WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS Forward Thinking • Innovative • Consistency You Can Count On D'arcy Main-Boyington Economic Development Director ecdev@brewermaine.gov 207-989-7500 W W W. B R E W E R M A I N E . G O V/ B I Z " From the very beginning, the City of Brewer welcomed us with open arms. Having a supportive, stable, and consistent local staff and government that creates an atmosphere that matches our company philosophy of 'It's all about the people' makes doing business in Brewer a pleasure." Pete Vigue Chairman of the Board, The Cianbro Companies P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY The two biggest issues for coffee growers are climate change and money. — Mary Allen Lindemann Coffee By Design Alina Lindemann Spears, production roaster, Coffee By Design, roasts beans in the roastery in Portland.

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