Goodwill Northern New England’s mascot, Puffy G, made a special appearance at the reopening of the nonprofit’s revamped store in Gorham.
“The renovations have made the store brighter and more welcoming, while giving our employees an updated and comfortable place to work,” Keith Crowley, Goodwill’s director of development and community engagement, told Mainebiz.
A community ribbon-cutting was held Thursday at the store’s 102 Main St. location.
Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, headquartered at 34 Hutcherson Drive in Gorham, is ranked No. 4 among Maine’s largest social service nonprofits, with $85.9 million in assets, according to the 2026 Mainebiz Book of Lists.
The nonprofit has 1,405 employees throughout its service area in Maine, New Hampshire and northern Vermont. It is led by President and CEO Tripp Harrison.
Revenue generated through donations and sales at Goodwill’s retail stores helps fund the organization’s programs, which include supporting individuals seeking employment, career advancement and greater economic independence.
In Maine, Goodwill has 17 regular stores and one outlet. Across Maine, New Hampshire and northern Vermont, there are 29 regular stores and two outlets.
Optimized operations
The goal for the makeover of the 11,784-square-foot Gorham location, which has 24 employees, was to improve the shopping experience and create a comfortable, welcoming workplace for employees, said Crowley. That included optimizing the sales floor and production operations, which helped increase the assortment of available products.
“The Gorham location was due for a refresh, and these upgrades allow us to better serve the community while providing a modern space our team can be proud of,” he said.
Renovations included new flooring, paint and store fixtures and a new and relocated checkout counter. The project started May 11. The store remained open throughout the process.
The project cost of approximately $77,000 was financed by Goodwill, which served as the general contractor for the project and coordinated several subcontractors as needed.
Makeovers are in the works for other Maine locations.
“We’re planning a refresh of our Millcreek location, in South Portland, with work beginning in November,” said Crowley. “We’ll also be making cosmetic improvements, including fresh paint and updates, at other locations over the coming year to ensure our stores continue to provide a great experience for customers and employees alike.”
Last month, the organization launched a program focused on expanding substance use recovery and youth mental health services in rural communities and areas experiencing concentrated poverty.
