Biscuits and Company

Grandmother’s recipe creates a startup business. When Stacy Cooper, working in Boston, decided to move to Maine, she brought along her grandmother’s biscuit recipe and a desire to be an entrepreneur. After selling her biscuits at local fairs and the Kennebunk Farmers Market, her friends and partner encouraged her to apply for the 2013 Biddeford Main Street Challenge and fulfill her dream of opening a restaurant. After Stacy made it to the second round, she reached out to a small business coach to work on her business plan and design some market research. When she won the competition’s $10,000 prize,…

Hyperlite Mountain Gear

Less is More When Mike St Pierre despaired of finding a backpack and tent that wouldn’t weigh him down as he escaped from the kitchen to New York’s Adirondacks, he did what every self-respecting high-end chef would do; he whipped up his own. Working in his Brooklyn apartment on his mom and grandma’s sewing machines, he experimented with materials, bonding and sewing to come up with backpacks and tents that were infinitely better than he could find in the marketplace. At half the weight or better, and waterproof, the material he settled on, Dyneema, was unforgiving, but made from fibers…

Prescott Metal

Prescott Metal is a metal fabrication company located in Biddeford, Maine that has been in business for almost 100 years. When they have expanded and acquired other businesses, Southern Maine Finance Agency (SMFA) has provided them with the funding to complete these projects. “Prescott Metal has approached SMFA several times with needs for gap funding to complete an acquisition or expansion. Every time we have needed financing, they have worked with us to assure that we get the money we need in a timely manner to maintain our production schedules. SMFA has really helped our business stay on track.” John…

Pepperell Mill Campus

Biddeford’s Pepperell Mill Campus is one of the premier redeveloped mill complexes in New England. Almost 150 businesses and over 100 residents call this sixteen-building campus home. Doug Sanford credits Southern Maine Finance Agency (SMFA) with facilitating financing with local banks and Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission to push this redevelopment project forward. “SMFA worked with us through every phase of this project to collaborate with bankers and SMPDC to get us the funding we needed to keep our development on schedule. They can be credited with providing critical financing that contributed to the success of this mill redevelopment…

Precision Transmission & Auto Care

Precision Transmission opened its state-of-the-art transmission and drive train repair facility in Wells in 2003. Owner David Roy credits Southern Maine Finance Agency (SMFA) with assisting in making his business start-up possible: “Partnering with the SMFA has had many benefits. They helped me realize my business start-up plans by securing the financing needed in a timely manner.”

Shields Meats and Produce

Shields Meats and Produce, Inc. has been doing business in Kennebunk, Maine since 1923. In 2004, Shields added a line of hot dogs to meet market demands and needed additional financing. Southern Maine Finance Agency (SMFA) assisted the company with funding to facilitate this growth. “We determined that SMFA would be a great option for our financing needs. They really listened to our needs and matched us with the correct loan.” Dean and Greg ShieldsOwnersShields MeatsKennebunk, Maine

News