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Updated: August 28, 2023 2023 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine

City of South Portland: “25 Best Places to Live for Families” — Fortune Magazine, 2022

PHOTO Courtesy of the City of South Portland South Portland from the north

South Portland is Maine’s fourth-largest community with a population of 27,000+. The City is comprised of more than a dozen neighborhoods, each with its own distinct character. Conveniently located on Casco Bay, along southern Maine’s picturesque Atlantic coast, South Portland is home to over 1,500 diverse and growing businesses, with significant employment in technology, hospitality, manufacturing, logistics, retail, education, medical arts, and insurance. South Portland offers the tools needed to thrive in today’s business environment: a highly educated workforce, convenient access to markets, amenities of a major city, plus the charm of a classic New England town.

A Sustainable Lens

The City of South Portland is a state-wide leader in sustainable policies and practices. Our Sustainability Department manages many efforts to promote a healthy community, environment, and economy, guided by our climate action and adaption plan: One Climate Future. To assist businesses in transitioning to more sustainable practices, the City offers an extensive menu of incentives and rebates, including those offered through the City’s Electrify Everything program. In order to foster the long-term vitality of the business community, preserve South Portland’s scenic coastline and other outdoor spaces, and support our residents’ well-being, the community understands that we must be good stewards of our resources, which involves planning well into the future. Furthermore, South Portland has attracted a variety of like-minded businesses and residents, who share these values and exemplify their commitment through their engagement in associated civic and nonprofit programs.

Celebrating a Significant Anniversary

2023 marks South Portland’s 125th Anniversary as an independent city. The 125th Anniversary theme will be visible at several city-wide events over the next year. The QR code to the left will reveal the City’s full list of events, including our Kite Festival at Bug Light, Art in The Park, our Annual Business Awards banquet, and much more! We welcome and invite residents and visitors to join us at these events!

SoPo’s Expanding Foodie Culture

Photos Courtesy of the City of South Portland
Images of culinary options found in South Portland

In addition to being a great place to work and live, South Portland is increasingly recognized for its emerging food scene. Recently, our community has welcomed several new breweries, specialty grocery stores, artisan bakeries, and cafés throughout the City. Many of our eateries are also committed to sourcing their products, when possible, through collaborations with local community farms. The City has seen significant investments by the Preble Street Resource Center (a central commercial kitchen facility), and by Fork Food Lab (a food-centric business incubator with shared commercial kitchen, production, retail and event space). The development of these new facilities serve as anchors to our growing culinary sector in South Portland and the greater region.

Educating Maine’s Workforce

South Portland is proud to be home to Maine’s largest community college, Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), located on the site of historic Fort Preble, at Spring Point. SMCC and our other education partners are working diligently to deliver tailored workforce-development training and resources for the businesses in our community and region. SMCC, as well as other institutions, are finding innovative ways to cultivate the knowledge and skills of our increasingly diverse and high-achieving students while also meeting the ever-changing demands of the economic environment.

Investments in Housing

PHOTO Courtesy of the City of South Portland
611 Main St. — Thornton Heights Commons mixed use development

The City of South Portland has been fortunate to receive significant investments in several new, affordable, workforce, and market-rate housing development projects, including Avesta Housing’s development on Westbrook Street, The South Portland Housing Authority’s site on Main Street, and Latitude on Clark’s Pond Parkway. Additionally, there are developments in the approval process that, when completed, will add several hundred additional housing units in the City.

South Portland might be just the place for your business … and your family.

South Portlanders are constantly working to enhance the community’s appeal as a great place to live and work. Fortune Magazine’s recent designation of South Portland as a “Best Place to Live for Families” demonstrates that others see this as well. We strive to fully embody our motto: “Making All Things Possible.” Once a hub for industry, South Portland’s business community has become increasingly diverse. Our community is making continual forward progress, while caring for and balancing the many factors that make South Portland the vital community is has become – from caring for all of our residents, nurturing our unique natural resources, and supporting our growing economy.

We welcome the opportunity to learn about your business goals and offer our support. Please reach out to us so we can put our team to work for you and your business.

City of South Portland

829 Sawyer St., P.O. Box 9422, South Portland, ME 04116

William J. Mann, Economic Development Director, wmann@southportland.org

Eva M. Shepherd, Economic Development Associate, eshepherd@southportland.org

(207) 767-7603

www.facebook.com/sopoecodevo

www.southportland.org

Making all things possible.