The Good Crust, a maker of pizza dough that started in 2020 in Skowhegan, has plans to enlarge its workspace at a new location in Canaan.
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The Good Crust, a maker of pizza dough that started in 2020 in a shared kitchen in Skowhegan, has plans to enlarge its workspace at a new location in Canaan.
The company is owned and operated by Heather Kerner, twin sister of Amber Lambke, CEO and co-founder of Maine Grains in Skowhegan. The Good Crust’s frozen pizza dough is made with flour milled at Maine Grains.
With the expansion in late May in Canaan, the firm will move into 1,200 square feet, allowing it to expand its distribution throughout the Northeast.
For now, Kerner has 11 part-time employees, some of whom have disabilities.
“Investing in a commercial property in Canaan, where I live, will help me actualize a vision for myself and my employees that it is possible to live rurally and work close to home,” says Kerner, who is founder and CEO. “It also allows me to use my unique skill set, as an occupational therapist in special education, to grow jobs for underserved populations.”
The new site, at 210 Main St. (U.S. Route 2) in Canaan, will have a commercial kitchen and shipping-ready garage with a walk-in freezer. It will also allow the Good Crust to offer weekend take-out service of fresh pizza.
“It’s an opportunity to build our team in a new and meaningful way,” says Shawn Duffy, production manager.
The site will allow the company to expand product and improve efficiency.
In its first full year of operation, the Good Crust produced more than 50,000 pounds of dough. It bought 30,000 pounds of wheat flour milled by Maine Grains, which sources its grains from 45 farmers in Maine.
Good Crust pizza dough is sold at 45 health food and farm stores and in eight breweries, restaurants and catering operations in New England.
With the expansion, the Good Crust hopes to expand within the food service industry and among retailers, not only in New England but as far away as New York’s Hudson Valley. Good Crust is also developing new products.
“Heather’s commitment to supporting Maine’s local grain economy, providing good jobs for individuals with unique needs, and investing in her local community in Somerset County are all values that deeply resonate with the work that we are doing at Coastal Enterprises,” says Sarah Guerette, director of the CEI Women’s Business Center.
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Also in Portland, PM is underway on a renovation at Foundation Brewing located in the Industrial Way brewery area. The expansion of the 8,500-square-foot facility includes a brand-new serving kitchen and has a scheduled completion for mid-summer.
