Maine Business in January 2026: Deals, Housing and a Cannabis Expansion

Maine outlets covered a wide range of business activity in January 2026, from company acquisitions and plant closures to new housing projects and cannabis-industry expansion. State lawmakers and regulators also acted on wages, funding and industry rules.

Deals, acquisitions and closures

• A Freeport hospitality group continued its acquisition and construction expansion, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Retailer Bull Moose plans to close its North Windham store, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A Portland-based art supply retailer with a national footprint filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A Southern Maine engineering firm grew by completing two acquisitions, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A Waldo County maker of Lincoln Logs will close its plant and cut 115 jobs, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A Hampden-based waste contractor acquired part of the former Jay mill, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• NBT Bank posted record fourth-quarter earnings amid growth by acquisition, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)

Jobs and leadership

• A Skowhegan hospital promoted a longtime employee to CEO, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Portland law firm Bernstein Shur expanded with a new immigration practice, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• The former head of Brunswick Landing joined the Kennebec Regional Development Authority, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Skowhegan Savings' CEO laid out a 'methodical' growth plan for 2026, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• IDEXX's CEO plans to retire, with an insider named as successor, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• MEMIC welcomed back Matt Coy as its chief information officer, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)

Real estate and development

• Auburn councilors agreed to rezone about 25 acres of airport property, bringing it into compliance with federal funding requirements, the Sun Journal reported. (Sun Journal)
• A Scarborough developer added a warehouse and manufacturing building to its industrial portfolio, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Construction moved ahead at the Roux Institute's evolving Portland campus, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A Massachusetts investment group found a value-add opportunity in Lewiston and Auburn, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• The Maine Redevelopment Land Bank acquired the former Hartland Tannery, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)

Housing

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine donated land for housing, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• The first phase of affordable housing projects got underway in Portland's Deering Oaks neighborhood, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Twelve workforce housing units were under construction in Stonington, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• The Stroudwater Commons condo development aims to attract first-time buyers, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A Mount Desert Island housing trust raised funds to build more median-income homes, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Freeport approved a second housing project for its downtown, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)

Food and drink

• A popular food truck grew into a 'Maine-Mex' restaurant in Bucksport, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)
• Bakery Marvelous Macarons set up shop in Auburn, the Sun Journal reported. (​​Lewiston Sun Journal​​ ​​​ ​​​)
• A Scarborough-based coffee chain added a second shop in its own backyard, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A landmark diner in Wells went up for sale, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Maine garnered seven semifinalist spots in the James Beard Awards, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• An Ogunquit restaurant went up for sale while two Maine wineries shifted gears, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)

Energy, cannabis and industry

• Maine's cannabis industry is headed for saturation, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• The York County town of Parsonsfield will get its first cannabis dispensary, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Curaleaf opened an adult-use cannabis dispensary in Bangor, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• After eight years in development, Avangrid switched on a transmission line through Maine, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Maine's cannabis regulator issued a recall for a product linked to pesticide, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A $2 million award will focus on 'complex challenges' facing the lobster industry, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)

State government and funding

• Maine's minimum wage rose to $15.10, while Portland's jumped to $16.75, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• The House approved $7.6 million for Maine's working waterfronts and other community projects, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• UMaine received $45 million to build a health and life sciences complex, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• A planned Waterville computing hub aims to fuel innovation and job growth, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• The Maine Senate backed the governor's veto of changes to an auto repair bill, Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)
• Mills unveiled a housing plan and pledged to defend democracy 'with everything I have,' Mainebiz reported. (Mainebiz)

This roundup summarizes reporting by other outlets; follow the links for their full stories.