Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1545351
W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 2 6 F O C U S L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N / W E S T E R N M A I N E Dusty gems Desgrosseilliers noted at the time that, after the mills were shuttered, people didn't talk about the region's blue-collar history. By contrast, she was an enthusiast, calling relics such as a dusty old textile machine a "gem." Guiding the nonprofit toward preserving and honoring the area's working-class history, she orga- nized reunions of Lewiston-Auburn's aging millworkers and saved innumer- able artifacts from the trash heap. "One former loom fixer, his old tools in hand, told her at the first millwork- ers' reunion that he could die in peace knowing that someone cared about what he'd done during his life," the 2009 Mainebiz story said. A long-time manufacturer that's going strong is Rancourt & Co. "My family has been manufac- turing in Lewiston for 58 years. It started with my father's first factory in 1967," says Michael Rancourt, owner of the Lewiston footwear manufacturer and the museum's board chair. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Proud to call Maine, home. From the top of the Summit Express to the shorelines of our Western Maine Lakes, we are dedicated to keeping our communities beautiful, engaged, and thriving. Planning, survey, engineering, and landscape architecture — real Maine solutions, from people proud to call this remarkable place home. FEATURED PROJECT Summit Express Lift | Pleasant Mountain Services Included: Permitting, Survey, Civil Engineering, Construction Administration & Oversight O F F I C E S I N B R I D G TO N , B RU N S W I C K , S A N F O R D, A N D S O U T H P O RT L A N D, M A I N E | L E A R N W H AT W E CA N D O, TO G E T H E R . S E BAG OT E C H N I C S . C O M C M Y CM MY CY CMY K SebagoTechnics_MaineBiz_WesternMaine_F.pdf 1 5/26/26 5:40 PM Trusted Collaborations. Deep Local Roots. Trusted Collaborations. Deep Local Roots. We listen, provide the data, and get to know your business—so we guide you with insight, not assumptions. With deep roots in Maine and a trusted network, we help you navigate the market with clarity and confidence. 2 Monument Square, Portland, ME | 207.773.7100 | dunhamgroup.com explore available properties > At The Dunham Group, relationships come first. F I L E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y R A N C O U R T At Rancourt & Co., owner Michael Rancourt says he and his father were happy to contribute oral histories and manufacturing items to the museum. I'm happy to tell that story. — Michael Rancourt Rancourt & Co.