The head of the region’s chamber of commerce says a combination of new businesses, new growth for existing ones, and new business owners are all “encouraging signs” after closures during the pandemic.
A combination of new businesses, new owners coming in and expansions in The County are all “encouraging signs” after a number of closures during the pandemic, according to LaNiece Sirois, executive director of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce.
Based in Presque Isle, the chamber covers 22 communities including Presque Isle, Caribou and Fort Fairfield and the unincorporated township of Oxbow.
“The ones that have closed are mainly restaurants and a couple of them were going to close anyway, so the COVID shutdown was the best time to do it,” she says. “It’s nice to start changing the tune of the conversation, and any success is acceptable at this point.”
New businesses include the Outdoor Extreme store and Baldwin’s Driving Academy in Presque Isle and Family Haircuts by Lisa and the Playtime Adventures recreational facility in Caribou, while Burger Boy in Caribou and Morning Star Art & Framing in Presque Isle are both under new ownership.
Among businesses that have expanded or added a second location, Haney’s Home Farm Garden store in Caribou recently opened a location in Presque Isle, hydroponics equipment supplier Here We Grow moved to a larger facility in Presque Isle; and Caribou-based Progressive Realty added an office in Presque Isle.
Asked what her pitch is to individuals looking to move to the region, Sirois says she tells them that the economy is good and that people are loyal to local businesses.
“Most of our people are back to work again, unemployment is going down significantly and that’s exciting,” she adds.
She’s relaying that message a lot lately, with about three or four calls a week to the chamber from people wanting to move to the area from out of state. That includes a family of 10 from Montana that bought a house before arriving.
“I think it’s a COVID numbers thing,” she says.
