Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X I V J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 2 6 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E businesses, the town of Lisbon has launched a program called "smart start sessions." e staff-level business review process is designed to support incom- ing businesses, streamline project plan- ning and promote coordinated, efficient development within the community. NOTEWORTHY CENTRAL & WESTERN Skowhegan Savings Bank awarded $18,000 in college scholarships to nine graduating high school seniors across Maine through its 2026 Skowhegan Savings College Scholarship Program. Maine Community College System in Augusta announced that David Daigler plans to step down as system president by the end of the 2026-27 academic year. Daigler joined the system in 2003 and has served as president since 2019. Fontaine Family, an Auburn real estate firm, said it donated $31,000 to Make- A-Wish Maine following its annual Bids for Wishes Virtual Auction. Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine in Auburn announced that 142 corporate partners helped provide more than 27 million meals to neighbors across the state in 2025. Community Credit Union said that it will discontinue full-service operations at its Lewiston branch located at 144 Pine St. The credit union will continue serving Lewiston members at its 132 Pine St. location and plans for a future downtown retail branch within the Dewitt Development, located at 40 Pine St., anticipated to open in early 2027. Thomas College in Waterville said it will launch a Master of Education in Trauma Healing and Community Wellness de - gree in the fall. The interdisciplinary pro- gram is designed for current and future professionals who work in educational, social service or wellness fields seeking advanced knowledge in understanding and addressing the pervasive effects of trauma. The Finance Authority of Maine in Augusta approved the issuance of tax credit certificates related to five sepa - rate investments totaling approximately $42 million by various Community Development Entities through the Maine New Markets Capital Investment Program to be used by Irving Forest Products Inc., a subsidiary of J.D. Irving Limited, as part of a project to modernize and expand its Ashland saw - mill in Nashville Plantation. The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center Lewiston, formerly known as the Ramada Hotel, completed a $3 million renovation including refined guest rooms, onsite restaurant, outdoor spaces, pool, fitness center, sauna and a business center equipped with board - rooms, a grand ballroom and theater. New funding expands health care training Community Care Partnership of Maine in Bangor announced $940,000 in new philanthropic funding to launch a Rural Healthcare Workforce Learning & Clinical Implementation Hub, expanding access to training and upskilling opportunities for health care workers across Maine. NOTEWORTHY NORTHERN Haley Ward Inc., an employee-owned engineering, environmental, survey- ing, planning and architecture consult- ing firm in Bangor, said it acquired Conceptual Design Group Inc., a Florida- based landscape architecture and plan- ning firm. The Southern Aroostook Development Corp. in Houlton was awarded a $1 mil- lion grant through the Northern Border Regional Commission's Forest Economy Program to support the development of a new forest-products manufacturing facility in the Houlton Industrial Park. Evernorth Rural Ventures said it closed a $9 million allocation of New Markets Tax Credits for the construction of a new 82,000 square-foot community center for the Bangor Region YMCA. The facility will expand access to child - care, health care, youth programming and wellness services. HO Bouchard, a trucking company in Hampden, said it signed agreement to acquire Gould Equipment, a truck repair shop in Bangor. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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