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Made in Maine 2026

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V O L . X X X I I N O. X X I V ยง 2 O C T O B E R 1 9 , 2 0 2 6 14 M A D E I N M A I N E F O C U S A t the start of 2025, I began photographing Maine manu- facturers for a fine art project and for Made in Maine, a feature that appears in every issue of Mainebiz. I wanted to explore what exists beyond the finished product and Maine's postcard image, focusing instead on the people, the manufacturing pro- cess and the businesses themselves. When people think of Maine, they often picture lobster, lighthouses, rug- ged coastline and award-winning restau- rants. But beyond those familiar images is a state deeply rooted in tradition and industry. e first series took me inside manufacturing facilities across Maine, where I photographed workers whose knowledge, skill and craftsmanship are often unseen by the public. What I found was a mix of tra- dition and innovation, from skills developed over decades to increas- ingly advanced technology. e photographs were published more than a year ago in the Mainebiz Fact Book and went on to receive an award for photo storytelling from the New England Newspaper & Press Association. e recognition was mean- ingful to me and brought greater atten- tion to Maine manufacturing and the people behind it. A year later, I continue to visit and photograph these businesses, and there is still much more on this side of Maine to discover. Here are some of my favorite pho- tographs from the past year. An eye for what's made in Maine Seeing Maine through a different lens T e x t a n d p h o t o s b y T I M G R E E N W A Y Alex Bagley sands an oar on a drum sander at Shaw & Tenney in Orono. Established in 1858, the company makes traditional wooden oars, paddles, spars and boat hooks, each crafted from a single piece of wood. ABOVE: Jesse Gentry is seen through a body mold as he works on the back of a guitar at Bourgeois Guitars in Lewiston. The company has made more than 12,000 guitars since Dana Bourgeois built his first more than 50 years ago while attending Bowdoin College. Each guitar takes about 14 weeks to build from start to finish.

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