FocusMaine report cites job growth and investment in three key Maine industries

Courtesy / Thirty Acre Farm Agriculture and value-added food and beverage production are identified as fast-growing sectors for Maine’s economy, in the latest FocusMaine report. Seen here is Thirty Acre Farm in Bremen.

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By Staff

A new report released today by FocusMaine said that three of Maine’s industry sectors has seen job growth over the past year.

The report, called “Momentum,” outlined the progress that FocusMaine and its partners has made over the past four years in three fields — agriculture and value-added food and beverage production, aquaculture and biopharmaceuticals.

"Through the great work of our partners, our investments have positively changed the trajectory of companies with roots in Maine and have created bridges that didn't exist for young people looking to enter Maine's workforce," Kimberly Hamilton, president of FocusMaine, said in a news release. "In this process, we've created hundreds of jobs and supported over 160 companies."

The organization has invested more than $8 million in Maine businesses, organizations and projects and nearly $6 million in Maine's food economy. FocusMaine investments have helped create more than 800 jobs and have helped attract new funding to the state. The money included over $2 million for Maine's marine economy through the Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine and another $919,000 to catalyze business growth in Maine’s food economy as part of the 2022 Congressionally Directed Spending awards, according to the release.

FocusMaine and the Roux Institute at Northeastern University also secured $500,000 for a regional biomanufacturing coalition.

In the past four years, FocusMaine and Educate Maine engaged more than 2,100 interns hosted at 90 participating employers.

2021 highlights

• 38 employers from various industries participated in the Maine Career Catalyst program and hosted over 480 interns across the state, including 105 interns in FocusMaine's key sectors.

• 10 BIPOC interns facing financial barriers to accepting an internship received the first Equity in Internships Program stipends to support their internship experience.

• 90% of Maine Career Catalyst respondents agreed or strongly agreed that "Maine is a vibrant place to live and work."

• Through the Maine Aquaculture Association, a first-in-the-nation project to develop aquaculture industry occupational standards has become the basis of statewide education credentials, curriculum and apprenticeship program.

• Over 35 one-to-one business coaching sessions have prepared sea farmers for growth and success.

• A new Aquaculture Pioneers program in partnership with Educate Maine is combining practices of long-term stewardship of Maine's ocean resources with paid internship opportunities.

• A partnership with the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is providing insight into the culinary preferences of People of Color and identifying growth opportunities for Maine farmers, food producers, and retailers.

• Over 40 companies participated in the Maine Center for Entrepreneur’s Cultivator and MarketShare programs and Coastal Enterprises Inc.’s Tastemaker programs that help small businesses extend market reach, increase profitability, and build quality jobs for Mainers.

• A new accelerator program at the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs is mentoring marine food companies and helping them to scale.

• A partnership with the Roux Institute at Northeastern University and others is building the foundation for a regional biomanufacturing plan.

• FocusMaine has connected with over 50 Boston-based life sciences companies to share the benefits of expanding their operations into Maine.

• A new Biopharma Advisory Team is helping to guide FocusMaine’s efforts to grow the sector in Maine.

To view the full report, click here.