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Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued some of the earliest data on the post-pandemic recovery, and the news for Maine is not encouraging. While the national economy grew by 6.4% in the first quarter of 2021, Maine’s economy grew by 5.2%.  In addition to lagging the national rate of economic growth (and the […]

All jobs are important, but some are “foundational.” Foundational jobs are those that support other jobs from suppliers, repair companies, and professional services such as bankers, lawyers, insurance providers and more. But the list doesn’t stop there. There are literally dozens of jobs that can be connected to just one foundational job. Make no mistake […]

(image courtesy: Disney General Entertainment Content)   Over the years, several Maine companies have been featured on Shark Tank, the ABC show in which start-up businesses seek investment from the celebrity “Sharks.” The formula is always the same: an entrepreneur has an idea for a product or service that he or she wants to bring […]

Manufacturing, construction, forestry, farming and fishing are all great examples of foundational jobs. These companies start with raw, natural materials. From there, they use knowledge, tools, technology and skilled labor to make something useful and valuable. Jobs that create value are what generates economic growth, individual income and collective prosperity. One question we hear is, […]

Foundational jobs don’t exist in isolation. If there’s a foundational job, there is a company that makes that job possible. AFM recently posted videos featuring several companies that provide foundational jobs: Atlantic Great Dane, Sabre Yachts, Lucas Tree, Limmington Lumber, and Kennebec Tech. These Maine companies provide critical jobs that help support families, build our […]

Key factors include Maine’s aging workforce and reliance on hospitality, tourism, and retail jobs On May 7, we published this piece on how COVID-19 had exposed the danger of losing foundational jobs in Maine. Specifically, Maine’s shift in recent decades away from good-paying, goods-producing jobs toward lower-paying hospitality, service and retail jobs has made our […]