After 25 years, we look back, but stay focused on future
It’s fitting that in the same stretch the Mainebiz staff was putting this 25th anniversary issue together, we were also launching a new website.
In looking at 25 trends that have shaped the past quarter century, we dug through the dusty bound copies of Mainebiz. Many of the same themes came up again and again: Maine’s aging population, the workforce shortage and the need for reliable internet.
Some stories gave us a laugh. An early issue had a lively debate about the future of the internet, with one person flatly stating that it would, in effect, blow over. There were ads for deals on fax machines. There were columns offering advice on how to make the transition to the 486 operating system.
There are a number of business leaders we write about today that have been with us since the beginning. In those days it was a lot more common to wear a tie, though “fair isle” sweaters seemed popular as well. Everyone seemed to have a lot more hair.
Fred Forsley, who founded Shipyard Brewing Co. the same year Mainebiz started publishing, was profiled in our first issue. He’s featured again in these pages, with Senior Writer Renee Cordes talking with him for our On the Record (see Page 74).
There were also many, many business people who have moved on, it seems. It was a helpful reminder that things do constantly change, even in Maine. Most of the out-of-state banks have changed hands, though many of the Maine-based banks are still trading under the same name and are a lot larger.
As much as it’s been fun to look back, we are very much looking ahead. With the new website, we also join much of the rest of the media industry in instituting a subscriber pay wall. While print was everything in 1994, today it is just part of what we produce. Between our Daily Report and two Real Estate Insiders, we produce nearly 40 digital stories a week. Events have also become part of our content, with thought-leaders being brought together in front of a live audience.
Through the changes, we offer our appreciation to our readers, advertisers and sponsors.
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