Mills meets with Piscataquis County business and economic leaders
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Gov. Janet Mills on Monday met with small business owners, representatives of major Piscataquis County employers and local elected officials during a meeting organized by the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council at the Mill Inn + Café in Dover-Foxcroft.
During the meeting Mills heard firsthand about economic development initiatives in Piscataquis County, the effects of administration workforce and community investments and impacts from federal trade policy on employers and heritage industries.
“Like many people across our state, rural Maine is my home. It is where I was born and largely raised, and it is where my heart is, which is why it is so important to me that we continue to fight for the success of rural Maine in Augusta. I’m proud of my Administration’s work to build new opportunities for rural businesses, to invest in rural workforce training and equipment for heritage industries, and to ensure that rural Maine is a great place for people to live, work, and raise a family,” said Mills. “From the success of employers in our heritage industries, like Pleasant River Lumber, to Guilford becoming the ‘swab capital of the world’ through the work of Puritan Medical Products, to the countless small businesses that serve communities throughout Piscataquis County, Maine’s rural economy remains a cornerstone of our state. Under my Administration, we will continue to make rural Maine a priority for investment and opportunity today and into the future.”
PURITAN VISIT — Gov. Janet Mills visited Puritan Medical Products in Guilford during a trip to Piscataquis County on Monday. Mills met with small business owners, representatives of major Piscataquis County employers and local elected officials during a meeting organized by the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council at the Mill Inn and Café.
Earlier in the day Mills toured Pleasant River Lumber, one of Maine’s top lumber producers. Based in Dover-Foxcroft, Pleasant River Lumber owns and operates five lumber production plants, two sawmills and trucking company in Maine.
She also visited Puritan Medical Products in Guilford, which became North America’s top producer of COVID-19 testing swabs during the pandemic. In 2024, Puritan received a $250,000 grant through the state’s Domestic Trade Program, an initiative of the Governor’s Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, to support its efforts to build new market opportunities for its products in the United States.
The visits were the latest by Mills around the state to hear from local business and civic leaders. Last week, the governor visited Waterville and Gardiner in Kennebec County, Bangor in Penobscot County and Sanford and Arundel in York County.
MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR — Gov. Janet Mills, center, is pictured with Dover-Foxcroft Town Manager Alsina Brenenstuhl, left, and Piscataquis County Economic Development Council Executive Director Angela Arno on Monday as Mills met with area business and economic leaders during a meeting at the Mill Inn + Cafe.