Jen Millard founded mainelove in 2024 to package water from Sebago Lake — considered one of the cleanest in the country — in recyclable aluminum cans. Today, the brand is in 500-plus stores, licensed in 21 states and expanded into New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Mainebiz: What’s the premise of the business?
Jen Millard: Mainelove is about sharing one of Maine’s greatest natural resources — our incredible water — in a way that’s sustainable, community-driven and proudly local. We source from Sebago Lake, package in infinitely recyclable aluminum cans and partner with Maine breweries to keep production and economics right here at home.
MB: What motivated you to start the business?
JM: I’m a 12th-generation Mainer, and I’ve always wanted to build something meaningful here. When I came back to Maine, I saw this incredible natural resource in Sebago Lake, and also saw breweries with world-class equipment that weren’t always being fully utilized. It felt like an opportunity to connect the dots — celebrate Maine’s water, support local businesses and create something sustainable and scalable.
MB: What’s your previous career experience?
JM: My background has been in building and scaling consumer brands, so I’ve spent years thinking about product, distribution, partnerships and growth. I’ve worked across startups and larger companies, and that experience gave me the confidence to navigate everything from supply chains to retail conversations. Mainelove is mission-driven, but it’s also very operationally complex, and that’s where my past experience really helped.
MB: How did you identify Sebago Lake as your source?
JM: What makes the beer so great in Maine is really the water — Sebago Lake is truly world-class water. It’s naturally filtered and protected by a massive forested watershed, which keeps it incredibly clean. It’s also iconic here in Maine — people know it, trust it and care about it. For us, it felt obvious: If we were going to build a Maine water brand, it had to start with one of the cleanest sources in the country.
MB: What’s involved in operations?
JM: We work with local brewers that already have high-quality canning infrastructure and strict food safety standards. They co-pack for us using their existing lines. It’s a collaborative model. We provide the water sourcing, the process, the brand and the aluminum cans and they produce it locally. It’s efficient, sustainable and provides breweries with additional revenue at a time when alcohol consumption is shifting.
MB: Which brewers are partnering with you to date?
JM: Brickyard Hollow, Geary’s and Mast Landing. Each partnership reflects what we’re trying to build — a network of Maine businesses supporting one another.
MB: Who makes the aluminum cans?
JM: Ardagh Metal Packaging and its subsidiary, Hart Print in Maryland.
MB: What’s your distribution to date?
JM: We sold $500,000 worth of product — 22,000 cases, 265,000 cans — from May to December in 2025. We started locally, in restaurants, hospitality venues and specialty retail around Greater Portland. We’re expanding from there. Our growth strategy is to build strong Maine roots first, then grow regionally as demand buildings.
MB: How is mainelove financed?
JM: I’ve raised $2.2 million to date from private Maine individuals and from private equity groups.
MB: What are your expansion plans?
JM: We’re building outward from Maine down I-95 into Boston and greater Massachusetts, which feels like a natural next step. Later this year, we plan to expand into Florida. The goal is to growth thoughtfully along the East Coast while keeping Maine at the heart of everything we do.
MB: What does this business mean for you personally?
JM: Maine has shaped who I am. For me, mainelove has always been a give-back — of building something that honors our natural resources, supports local businesses, highlights the incredible resources in Maine and creates opportunity here at home.
