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V O L . X X X I I N O. I E C O N O M I C F O R E C A S T F O C U S T O U R I S M Eastport looks to right size its cruise-ship market B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r O ver the past couple of years, Eastport has seen targeted growth in the cruise ship market. "We've seen a lot of vessels that used to visit Bar Harbor and are now com- ing to Eastport," says Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority. When Gardner was hired in 2007, one task was finding a way to make the city better known to the cruise industry. In 2025, Eastport received 23 ships with a record combined passenger capacity of around 30,000. Most were smaller with fewer than 750 passengers and many with only a couple of hundred. Two larger vessels carried around 4,000 passengers each. "It's a great thing for Eastport," Gardner says. "It's a perfect balance. We don't have to change who we are." For 2026, 14 vessels are scheduled, with total passenger capacity of 16,000 to 17,000. "We're taking a needed approach for how to do this," he says. "We want to make sure that whatever growth comes to Eastport is the right approach." at includes the authority's com- mitment to one ship on any given day. "We don't want to overload and we don't want to ruin the experience," he says. "One thing people say they like about Eastport the most is that we're authentic. ey feel welcome because the whole day is about them. If we bring in multiple ships, we would ruin that." Gardner credits the growing cruise market and the extension of the visitor season from early April to November for the launch of several new downtown businesses over the past year. For 2026, "we're looking at another strong year. A strong year doesn't always have to beat the year before. at's important to note." B O AT B U I L D I N G Boat industry mostly stable, but keeping a weather eye to squalls B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r A ctivity at boat service yards and marinas is steady and most Maine marinas have waiting lists for dock- age and moorings, says Stacey Keefer, executive director of the Maine Marine Trades Association. Custom boatbuilding and high-end yacht restorations in Maine, although a small part of the overall market, remain steady, Keefer says. Custom builders are also experiencing interest in the electric propulsion market. However, other than a pandemic- driven spike in demand, sales of new pro- duction boats have been on a very gradual, national decline for at least seven years. "Boats outlast vehicles, so the market also has many decent used boats that can compete for new," Keefer notes. Boat clubs are gaining popularity as an easier, more affordable entry point into recreational boating. "Overall, I would say the boating industry looks mostly stable but can be affected by economic trends and uncertainties, interest rates and general consumer confidence," she says. R U R A L D E V E L O P M E N T Building housing that builds community B y T i n a F i s c h e r K ara Wilbur is a planner, developer and distributor of catalog homes through Dooryard, a full-service devel- opment company. She's encouraged by a growing recognition that low-density suburban development contributes to a tax base that pays for road maintenance, school transportation and public safety. "Towns like Newcastle, Rumford, Yarmouth, Madison and Rockland have been proactively identifying development parcels in their commu- nity centers," Wilbur says, "updating their zoning to allow for development in their neighborhoods and village centers, and intentionally seeking out development partners who will build high-quality places." Many communities are going further, offering financial support to help close financing gaps that continue to limit housing production, particularly in rural Maine. "Leaders in Maine at both the state and local level have an opportunity — and responsibility — to advocate for higher quality development that reflects our most-loved village and neighbor- hood patterns," Wilbur says. "Small multifamily projects, missing middle housing, adaptive reuse and infill development will be central to address- ing housing needs in our communities." Wilbur notes that the work of the Maine State Land Bank Authority, the Maine Office of Community Affairs and Maine State Housing Authority are well positioned to support local devel- opment efforts. "Looking ahead to 2026, success will be measured by sustained state and local investment in existing neighborhoods and villages across Maine, places where people continue to live, volunteer, help their neighbors and fight for their com- munities," she says. "Maintaining our Maine way of life," she adds, "will also require continued efforts to roll back outdated land use policies and reclaim our power to build places that are beautiful, enduring and that deliver long-term value to both our communities and to people's lives." LUMBER AND CONSTRUCTION Prefabricated components help speed construction timelines B y T i n a F i s c h e r K evin Hancock, chairman of Hancock Lumber, predicts another healthy year for the lumber, housing and construction sectors in Maine. "e builders we work with gener- ally have solid to strong project back- logs in front of them and speak with confidence about the coming year," Hancock says. e Casco-based company oper- ates 18 locations including lumber- yards and eastern white pine saw- mills in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and has expanded beyond supplying traditional building materials and services to offer made- in-Maine prefabricated roof and floor trusses, wall panels and tiny homes. More growth is on the horizon. "In a few months, we will be breaking ground on a 44,000-square- foot wall panel and housing compo- nents manufacturing plant in Oxford," Hancock says. "is highly automated facility will increase our produc- tion capacity tenfold, raise the bar on quality, speed up on-site construction timelines and expand our framing solutions product offerings for multi- family builders and developers." ere are also plans for an expan- sion of the paint-and-stain facility at the Casco mill. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E F I L E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y M A I N E M A R I N E T R A D E S A S S O C I A T I O N Maine Marine Trades Association Executive Director Stacey Keefer says the boat industry is mostly stable but is subject to national headwinds. F I L E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y S A M M U R P H Y Chris Gardner, left, says Eastport is seeking a balance between a growing cruise market and the city's quality of life. He's seen here with Kris Majezinski, captain of Virgin Voyages's Brilliant Lady, which visited in September. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y K A R A W I L B U R JA N UA R Y 1 2 , 2 0 2 6 18 Kara Wilbur is a planner, developer and distributor of catalog homes.

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