Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X X I V § 2 O C T O B E R 1 9 , 2 0 2 6 8 M A D E I N M A I N E F O C U S M aine is home to businesses whose brands have become recognizable across the coun- try. Alongside established names such as Tom's of Maine and L.L.Bean, a new generation of Maine companies are carving out their place on the national stage and making a name for themselves. According to the 2026 Domes- tic Trade Annual Update from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, Maine businesses generated $197.2 billion in total sales in 2024, with $108.9 billion, or 55.2%, in sales outside the state. For Maine makers, scaling nation- ally means finding ways to grow beyond the state's borders without leaving behind the qualities that make their businesses uniquely Maine. Maine lobster gets a 'Shark Tank' spotlight Sabin Lomac of Scarborough and Jim Tselikis of Cape Elizabeth remember a childhood centered around family, which they describe as "lots of laughs, lots of love and lobster." e cousins recall how their family prepared lob- ster with simple ingredients, mainly butter, that didn't distract from the meat's natural flavor. After leaving Maine, Lomac and Tselikis eventually reconnected in Los Angeles. ey began talking about the food they missed from home and saw an opportunity to bring Maine lob- ster to Los Angeles through a food truck. In 2012, Cousins Maine Lob- ster was launched with its first food truck in Los Angeles. "Our goal was to have one truck to break even, just to do something creative together. By no means was it meant to be a moneymaker, a career change," says Lomac. What began as a passion project between two cousins soon took a turn that would put Cousins Maine Lob- ster on a national stage: an appear- ance on the ABC show "Shark Tank." On the food truck's opening night, an ABC casting director was in line ordering Cousins Maine Lobster, unbeknownst to Lomac and Tseli- kis. According to Tselikis, the cous- ins went home from the opening to find an email inviting them to the show. After repeatedly turning down the offer, an executive producer called and convinced the cousins to pitch Cousins Maine Lobster on TV. e pitch resulted in an invest- ment from Barbara Corcoran, who initially paid $55,000 for a 15% stake in the company. e "Shark Tank" spotlight and subsequent television interviews gave Cousins Maine Lobster the oppor- tunity to get its story in front of millions of people. In addition to the national exposure, Corcoran sug- gested that Cousins Maine Lobster adopt a franchise model, which has since allowed the company to grow from one food truck to 15 franchise groups with around 100 food trucks throughout the United States and an e-commerce program where patrons can order lobster products. As the company expanded, Lomac and Tselikis have focused on main- taining its connection to Maine and the quality of its lobster. Franchisees are required to come to Maine for training, where they meet Maine lob- stermen and the cousins' families and learn about the state's blue economy. "It's in our name, Cousins Maine Lobster. It's not Cousins Lobster," Lomac explains. "Every single thing that we do is meant to pump up the state of Maine, its economy and the people." From campfire recipe to store shelves Grandy Organics, originally known as Grandy Oats, was founded in 1979 by a group of friends who came up It's in our name, Cousins Maine Lobster. It's not Cousins Lobster. "Every single thing that we do is meant to pump up the state of Maine, its economy, and the people. — Sabin Lomac Cousins Maine Lobster Maine brands go national Businesses with roots in Maine find success across the country B y S l o a n e M . P e r r o n F I L E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F C O U S I N S M A I N E L O B S T E R Jim Tselikis, left, and Sabin Lomac, owners of Cousins Maine Lobster F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Aaron Anker, owner and chief granola officer at Grandy Organics

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