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V O L . X X I V N O. I JA N UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 8 16 E lmet Technologies has occupied the same location, on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, since 1929. In its early years, Elmet was in the lighting business, manufacturing tung- sten fi lament for incandescent bulbs. At its peak, it was one of three largest light fi lament manufacturers in world and had more than 1,000 employees. In the early 1990s, LED lights were taking over the market, obviating the need for fi laments. "But people here had been working with other products, so we focused on getting into new applications and new markets," says CEO Andy Nichols. Today, Elmet specializes in high- purity molybdenum, tungsten and related alloys for the defense, automative, aircraft, semiconductor, thin fi lm, electronics and medical imaging industries, serving customers globally and growing 5-6% per year. "We're trying to do things with metals that most people think are impossible, because these metals are extremely brittle," Nichols says. Among the company's biggest strengths, says Nichols, is its work- force, now 200 people. anks to Lewiston and Auburn's long manu- facturing heritage, a strong work ethic is part of the cities' fabric. "We're blessed to have a very good workforce in Lewiston/Auburn," Nichols says. "We've employed thousands of people and four generations here." No merger, so what's next? Elmet evokes themes seen broadly among L/A's host of long-time and newer com- mercial enterprises, many having a local- to-global story in addition to thriving through that work ethic, which dates back to 19 th century manufacturing. Still, when manufacturing declined and jobs disappeared, L/A's image as a place to live or grow a business was tarnished. But things have been turning around. L/A's geographic advantages make it a transportation and logistics hub, which has spurred development of industrial parks. Mills and downtowns have attracted redevelopment and burgeoning commercial and residential activity. For some residents, merging Lewiston and Auburn would have leveraged the cities' advantages. Supporters like Gene Geiger, CEO of the Lewiston promo- tional products company Geiger and chair of the Lewiston and Auburn Joint Charter Commission, say the merger would have been a way to attain eco- nomic effi ciences and a focus on collec- tive energies toward promoting L/A as a desirable place to live, work and start a business — a rethinking of government operations and community services in pursuit of achieving best outcomes for the merged cities. e proposal failed. But merger or not, local observers say Lewiston and Auburn are works in progress whose current reinvention is well on its way. And there's plenty of push in both communities to work together to make sure the world knows about L/A both as a thriving commercial and industrial center and a destination. Hidden gems Driving along Lisbon Street, you'd scarcely notice Elmet Technologies. As Rebecca Swanson Conrad, president of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, says, it's one of L/A's many "hidden gems." "I've been thinking about strate- gies for marketing Lewiston/Auburn's hidden gems," she says, citing another example, Rancourt & Co., for 50 years manufacturer of high-end hand-sewn shoes and located down an obscure side street behind the Central Maine Medical Center campus. "You don't see many of the wonderful things that are happening here, that are much more visible in other communities." On a December day, Conrad takes a visitor on a tour to see what she means. Lewiston and Auburn's downtowns have growing numbers of restaurants, shops, offi ces and apartments. Plus there are businesses opened by Somali and other East African immigrants, who began arriving around 2000. Redeveloped mills are booming with commercial and residential activity, with plenty of space for more. Driving past some of those buildings, Conrad points out McIntosh & Co. Cabinetmakers, Bourgeois Guitars and the Maine read Co. Ironhorse Court, an events center redeveloped from an old railway station, is tucked away on a side street. ere are hospitals, higher education institutions and residential neighborhoods of diff erent characters, like Little Canada, whose residences are former mill housing. e cities invest in amenities like parks and a river walk. Cultural off erings like the Great Falls Balloon Festival, Baxter Brewfest and Museum LA attract visitors. On the outskirts, industrial parks are home to warehouse and distribution centers and businesses with national and interna- tional reach, making anything from fi ne furnishings to turnout gear to plastic compounds to incense products. Transformation At Paul's Clothing and Shoe Store in downtown Lewiston, owner Paul Poliquin has seen plenty of change dur- ing his 46 years on Lisbon Street. Works in progress The Lewiston/Auburn merger vote failed. But the twin cities continue to reinvent themselves P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Andy Nichols is CEO of Elmet Technologies, a manufacturer that has 200 employees and has been a fi xture in Lewiston since 1929. Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Cham- ber of Commerce plans a summer 2018 public showcase of L/A busi- nesses and development initiatives, with networking opportunities. The chamber is ramping up its new discoverlamaine.com website to showcase attractions for tourism and business formation/relocation. Lewiston is establishing a downtown historic district to allow contribut- ing structures to be on the national register, thus eligible for tax credits and ripe for development. Lewiston's various loan and grant programs tackle issues like eleva- tor and life safety improvements. A residential loan program aims to rebuild dilapidated stock and attract downtown occupancy. In Auburn, Jason Levesque aims to boost internet penetration through collaboration between businesses and schools. College students mentor high school students in how to build a website for a local business, leverag- ing real-world training opportunities, helping small businesses, and retain- ing youth for future employment. INITIATIVES TO PROPEL L/A HAVE SHOWN A WIDE RANGE

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