Posts Categorized: Success Stories

Northern Lights Hearth & Sports – Farmington

Northern Lights Hearth and Sports Store front with signage and pallets of goods, on a sunny day with some residual snow is on the ground

Josh & Alicia had worked for the previous owner of Northern Lights Hearth & Sports for more than a decade before they were approached about the possibility of stepping into an ownership position. Josh & Alicia were familiar with the business and were strongly positioned to take over the responsibilities of ownership but had never… Read more »

Maine Fly Company – North Yarmouth

Maine Fly Company Logo with fishing reel and mountains surrounding the name - small batch rods built in Maine since 2018

Jeff Davis had one goal in mind to celebrate his late father: to share his passion for Maine’s fly fishing culture. Jeff wanted to provide high-quality, affordable small batch rods that are carefully crafted to reflect the beauty of Maine’s waterways. Since opening in 2019, Jeff and his team have experienced promising growth and have… Read more »

Sarah Brandon Art – Steuben

Sarah Brandon hand lettering the name Smoke on the back of a boat

Sarah Brandon moved to Maine over 30 years ago, inspired by Maine’s beauty and strong art community. She knew this was the perfect location to fulfill her artist aspirations. Sarah specializes in the traditional hand lettering for custom boats and small signs. She also creates watercolor paintings, unique durable floor cloths, cards, and many other… Read more »

Live Life Family Practice – South Paris

After years of practicing in a large medical facility, Cortney struggled with the all-encompassing role the insurance industry played in providing care. To remove this from the equation and provide more direct care in addressing her patients’ needs, she launched her own private practice based on a Direct Primary Care Model, in which a subscription-based… Read more »

Trailside Gardens – Abbot

  Trailside Gardens evolved from a lifelong interest in the natural world surrounding us, particularly plants and landscape design. For eight years, Trailside Gardens in Abbot has offered an impressive selection of healthy plant material. As a small nursery selling plants, business owner Pauline Eldredge was facing supply issues and decided she was ready and… Read more »

Wandering Goat – Union

Since 2013, Tanya Rudy and her mother Cheryl have been making handcrafted soaps from their family farm in Midcoast Maine. This mother-daughter team located in Union makes their soaps in small batches and uses only the finest quality ingredients. They combine fresh goat’s milk from their own herd with organic oils to create naturally scented… Read more »

Sew Rugged – Sedgwick

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Liz Meadows was forced to close the doors of her 17-year-old successful massage therapy business. She could not, in good conscience, put her clients or herself at risk of exposure to the deadly virus. An entrepreneur at heart, Liz took it as an opportunity saying, “there is nothing like the… Read more »

Mills Market – Andover

Mills Market has been a staple of Andover since the 1890s. In its 4th generation of family ownership, this local country store provides a variety of grocery items as well as homemade prepared foods. Located in a prime location for tourists, many local customers have been coming into the market for years as well as… Read more »

The Only Doughnut – Belfast

Sally Jaskold, then owner of “The Only Doughnut” in Belfast, came to the Maine SBDC feeling stressed and overwhelmed:  Her successful farmer’s market bakery had morphed into a full-fledged brick-and-mortar operation with multiple employees, and she was feeling limited in her business-savvy skills.  Connecting with Business Advisor Alison Lane allowed her to take a deep… Read more »

Timberwolves BBQ – Mars Hill

Michael Stiggle is the heart and soul of Timberwolves Restaurant, a family-owned and operated barbecue restaurant and bar located just one mile from the Canadian border in the small town of Mars Hill. Whether you find him cooking the “Best Burger in Maine” (as designated by Downeast Magazine), working on his new barbecue sauce line,… Read more »