Governor Janet Mills announced that 46 Maine businesses have been awarded $2.9 million in grants from her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to increase sales of Maine-made products across the United States.
These grants will help companies expand domestic sales of products ranging from artisan cheese and coffee to forest products and specialty manufactured goods. They follow $3 million in grants awarded to 40 businesses earlier this year.
The Domestic Trade Program offers businesses financial and technical support to develop new market opportunities across the United States. The $6 million Jobs Plan initiative is modeled on a key recommendation of Maine’s 10-Year Economic Development Strategy to promote economic growth and strengthen its business climate for startups.
“The Domestic Trade Program has already generated great results for Maine businesses,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). “These 46 companies are well-positioned to leverage their products to markets across the country, and I look forward to watching their continued success.”
Governor Mills launched the Domestic Trade Program during a visit to Gorham-based outdoor gear manufacturer Flowfold last October. Flowfold utilized funding from a pilot project of the Domestic Trade Program to expand the market presence of its products across the country through newly redesigned packaging and trade show materials. The successful efforts led to increased sales and new wholesale agreements with prominent national retailers.
“While Maine has many world-class products in established markets, there is an incredible opportunity to expand our ocean and agriculture economy to meet the growing consumer demand of immigrant communities and expanding domestic markets,” said Patrick Woodcock, President & CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. “There are millions of potential customers for Maine products if we collaborate with these communities and partner with regional food distributors to expand its exports. The Northeast’s demographics are changing and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is encouraged to work with the Department of Economic Development and the Mills Administration on seizing these economic opportunities.”
“This grant is a tremendous boost for Maine Outdoor Brands and our outdoor recreation economy,” said Jenny Kordick, Executive Director of Maine Outdoor Brands. “With this funding, we can expand our efforts to promote Maine’s outdoor industry, create new sales channels, and provide critical support to emerging outdoor businesses in our state in the post-pandemic outdoor market.”
“Every day we see new innovations coming from the forest economy. For generations, Mainers have been successful and careful stewards of our forest lands,” said Peter DelGreco, President & CEO of Maine & Co. “This grant will help us find companies who want to integrate into Maine’s forest economy. These companies will be able to utilize our forests to develop environmentally safe and profitable products to share with the rest of the world, and to sell to a consumer base eager for products made with sustainable and renewable materials.”
“The Domestic Trade Program is helping folks across America learn what Mainers have known for years: Maine-made products are the best in the world,” said Governor Janet Mills. “These investments will help producers of everything from soap to surfboards effectively market their products, create jobs, and strengthen the Maine economy.”
The Domestic Trade Program is administered through the DECD with support from the Greater Portland Council of Governments, which is providing technical assistance to businesses and organizations with the grant application process, coordinating the review of applications and disbursing grant funds.
The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is Governor Mills’ plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity. Since Jobs Plan took effect in 2021, over $743 million in Jobs Plan funding has been spent or committed to deliver results on behalf of Mainers.
For more about the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, please visit maine.gov/jobsplan.
