{"id":424,"date":"2020-12-11T18:32:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T18:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/?p=424"},"modified":"2020-12-28T21:45:06","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T21:45:06","slug":"making-it-maine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/features\/making-it-maine\/","title":{"rendered":"Making it Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\r\n<style>\r\np#caption-attachment-437, p#caption-attachment-438, p#caption-attachment-433 {\r\n    margin-bottom: 0;\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<br \/>\nTucked between Main Street and the Machias River, the historic Machias Hardware building had been in the same family for 70 years. When Isaiah Roberts \u201910 heard of its potential sale, he knew he had to act quickly. He talked to his wife, Caissie \u201913, the owner, then to shipmate Harry Finn \u201909.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI asked him, \u2018Do you want to split a building?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What began as a straightforward real estate investment has blossomed, putting Harry and his wife Gina along with Isaiah and Caissie at the heart of a Main Street revival for downtown Machias, the seat of Washington County.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_433\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-433\" class=\"wp-image-433 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic1.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of families\" width=\"860\" height=\"503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic1.jpg 860w, https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic1-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic1-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-433\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The families of three MMA alumni worked to repurpose a Machias landmark building. <br \/>(Left to right) Gina Finn and son with husband Harry (\u201909), and Isaiah (\u201910) and Caissie (\u201913) Roberts and son.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The initial plans to just lease out the building\u2019s vacant storefronts were altered when Caissie\u2019s home-based business hit a tipping point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the middle of the purchase, I realized I was outgrowing my space at home, and having a storefront could bring me up to the next level,\u201d says Caissie, who was an MMA International Business and Logistics major. She chose Maine Maritime Academy because of its strong alumni network and high job placement rate. Although she worked in the insurance and banking industries after graduation, ultimately Caissie put her business degree into action working for herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMMA gave me the foundation to understand how businesses work, things like marketing, and that a business has to grow or die,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Inspired by her rescued black lab Mia, Caissie founded Sew Fetch Dog Co. in 2016, hand-making colorful custom pet collars, then selling them at craft fairs and on-line. Her idea was a smash hit, and the business took off. At the time, she was almost nine months pregnant with their first child, Lincoln, who was joined this year by baby brother Archer. But parenthood and business have blended seamlessly for Caissie.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy sales have doubled every year so far, and I\u2019m already on track to do that again this year,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaissie\u2019s business has taken off,\u201d Isaiah says. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing how many people are dog collar fanatics.\u201d He cites examples of customers who collect entire dog collar \u201cwardrobes\u201d for their pets.<\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0; line-height: 1em; margin-top: 14px;\">Store Reopens<\/div>\n<p>Gina raised her hand to occupy another of the historic building\u2019s storefronts, turning the former hardware space into a classic general store that stocks everything from locally made yarn, cheesecake, and chocolates to teapots and cast-iron cookware. Machias River General opened its doors in 2019, to the delight of the locals and town officials who have worked deliberately toward a Main Street revitalization for more than five years.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_437\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-437\" class=\"size-full wp-image-437\" src=\"\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic2.jpg\" alt=\"Robert's at work\" width=\"860\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic2.jpg 860w, https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic2-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic2-768x500.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-437\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caissie Roberts\u2019 custom dog collar business began as a part-time online venture that grew quickly and is now located in the former Machias Hardware store, along with a new general store run by Gina Finn and other rental spaces.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe Machias River General store is one of those unique places that reminds both locals and visitors of Maine\u2019s simpler, laid-back lifestyle and gives shoppers one more reason to visit Main Street Machias,\u201d says Town Manager Christina Therrien.<\/p>\n<p>For many years, Washington County has occupied an unenviable position as one of Maine\u2019s poorest rural counties, owing to many factors including job losses, fluctuations in its natural resources-based economy, and the resulting flight of its young people. With one of the oldest populations in Maine, county stakeholders recognize the region\u2019s recovery is tied to drawing young people back.<br \/>\nThe statewide media has taken notice, too. Both couples were featured in a 2019 Mainebiz article titled \u201cMachias Makes a Comeback, After Decades of Decline,\u201d and Sew Fetch Dog was showcased in a Bangor Daily News holiday gift guide and Down East Magazine\u2019s Maine Made Pet Gear guide.<\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0; line-height: 1em; margin-top: 14px;\">Offshore Work<\/div>\n<p>While Caissie and Gina manage their businesses and the building, which also includes several rental office spaces, their husbands go to sea with Diamond Offshore Drilling\u2014Harry as second assistant engineer and Isaiah as first engineer. Both majored in marine engineering operations at MMA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarry and I are on the same ship, he\u2019s a day supervisor and I\u2019m the night supervisor, I get three weeks with him,\u201d Isaiah says. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons we bought the building together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Isaiah and Harry rotate on and off the ship every four weeks, giving them roughly half a year in Washington County where they were both born and raised. It was the combined allure of traveling the world while putting down roots at home that drew them to become marine engineers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith Diamond, I\u2019ve been to the Canary Islands, South Korea, Brazil, and around the U.S. Traveling is fun, but at the end of the day there\u2019s no place that I\u2019d rather be than Downeast Maine,\u201d says Isaiah.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative; margin-bottom: 38px;\">\n<blockquote class=\"bq2\"><p>There is a huge demand for engineers and it\u2019s only going to grow, too, with only six maritime schools in the country.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div style=\"position: absolute; right: 0; margin-top: -24px; margin-right: 20%; font-family: adobe-caslon-pro, serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.3em; font-style: italic;\">&#8211; Isaiah Roberts \u201910<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Harry agrees. With Gina expecting their second child in February, he says he\u2019s especially excited to return from sea and soak up as much home life as he can.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like hanging out with my family, and I like to go fly fishing as much as I can,\u201d he says. Harry owns another investment property with yet another fellow MMA alum, Mark Patryn \u201909.<\/p>\n<p>Isaiah can list half a dozen local MMA alums and the businesses they own. He says they\u2019ve all returned to Washington County driven by a common goal; to invest in their home communities. \u201cWe\u2019re not making our money in Washington County, we\u2019re making our money elsewhere, but we\u2019re bringing that money here,\u201d Isaiah says.<\/p>\n<p>To build his own local business, Isaiah started Picket Hill Land Services in 2014, offering gravel work, land clearing, and firewood delivery services, among others. Since that time he has been slowly purchasing heavy equipment, with an eye to one day running the business full-time. When he\u2019s not at sea you\u2019ll find Isaiah in the cab of a dump truck, a skid steer, or one of his two excavators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has to work or he gets crazy,\u201d says Caissie. \u201cHis offshore job has provided him the opportunity to build his business here.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_438\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-438\" class=\"size-full wp-image-438\" src=\"\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic3.jpg\" alt=\"Standing by truck\" width=\"860\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic3.jpg 860w, https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic3-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2020\/12\/machias-pic3-768x424.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-438\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Isaiah ships out, but when ashore does excavation work, sometimes under the supervision of son, Lincoln.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just me right now, but hopefully I\u2019ll grow it every year so eventually I don\u2019t have to ship out,\u201d Isaiah says. \u201cIt keeps me pretty busy. I hire local help whenever I need a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to building a secure life for his family, creating local jobs and supporting local businesses are top priorities for Isaiah\u2019s business. In the beginning, he did his own mechanical work, another skill set he picked up at MMA. Now that his business has grown, Isaiah pays another business to do the maintenance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t mind taking it down to the local garage because it\u2019s putting more money back into the pockets of people who live here,\u201d says Isaiah.<\/p>\n<p>Isaiah, Caissie, Gina and Harry are bullish on the future for Machias. They say investing in their hometown feels good, but it\u2019s also smart business because Machias is revitalizing all around them. Next door, Machias Savings Bank has just completed construction on its new, multi-million-dollar corporate headquarters. Smaller businesses, too, have opened in Machias this year including a nutrition cafe, and a new yarn shop, which happens to rent the space next to Sew Fetch Dog Co.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like Machias\u2019 swing towards supporting smaller businesses just keeps getting better, and I think that makes for a tighter community,\u201d Harry says.<\/p>\n<p>With strong demand for marine engineers, Harry and Isaiah say they\u2019re also bullish on the future for MMA engineering grads.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMMA is a great school. It\u2019s not a school for everybody, but if it is for you, and you make that commitment to do it and get through it, then you\u2019ve literally got everything the world has to offer you once you graduate,\u201d says Isaiah. \u201cYou can live just about anywhere from Wyoming to Europe. But for us, it\u2019s Downeast Maine.\u201d<span class=\"articleEnd\">\u2588<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"photoCredit2\">Photos: Billy R. Sims<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tucked between Main Street and the Machias River, the historic Machias Hardware building had been in the same family for 70 years. When Isaiah Roberts \u201910 heard of its potential sale, he knew he had to act quickly. He talked to his wife, Caissie \u201913, the owner, then to shipmate Harry Finn \u201909.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI asked him, \u2018Do you want to split a building?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What began as a straightforward real estate investment has blossomed, putting Harry and his wife Gina along with Isaiah and Caissie at the heart of a Main Street revival for downtown Machias, the seat of Washington County.<\/p>\n<p>The initial plans to just lease out the building\u2019s vacant storefronts were altered when Caissie\u2019s home-based business hit a tipping point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the middle of the purchase, I realized I was outgrowing my space at home, and having a storefront could bring me up to the next level,\u201d says Caissie, who was an MMA International Business and Logistics major. She chose Maine Maritime Academy because of its strong alumni network and high job placement rate. Although she worked in the insurance and banking industries after graduation, ultimately Caissie put her business degree into action working for herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMMA gave me the foundation to understand how businesses work, things like marketing, and that a business has to grow or die,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Inspired by her rescued black lab Mia, Caissie founded Sew Fetch Dog Co. in 2016, hand-making colorful custom pet collars, then selling them at craft fairs and on-line. Her idea was a smash hit, and the business took off. At the time,<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/features\/making-it-maine\/\">&#8230;Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":632,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions\/632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/mariner\/issue2-2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}