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Sponsored by: Manufacturers Association of Maine
May 12, 2025 2025 Work for ME

Manufacturers Association of Maine

Strengthening the manufacturing ecosystem for many years to come

Photo / Courtesy of MAME
Mike Roughton

The Manufacturers Association of Maine (MAME) is once again pleased to be a part of the Work for ME publication, as we have been since its inception. Our partnership with Mainebiz has helped immeasurably to advance our manufacturing advocacy mission in a very tangible way.

Much to many people’s surprise, manufacturing has been growing in Maine. In fact, recent data shows that Maine’s manufacturing GDP grew by 11.4% from Q1 2019 to Q3 2024, outpacing the national growth rate of 5.2% over the same period, according to the Maine Center for Workforce Research and Information.

Between 2019 and 2024, manufacturing employment in Maine has grown approximately 4.1%, and average annual wages in the sector increased by 20.6%, bringing the average manufacturing salary to $68,120. Manufacturing now accounts for 11.2% of all private-sector wages in Maine, representing a 12.7% wage premium over the statewide average across all industries.

However, even with a compelling story to tell regarding the opportunities that exist in Maine’s manufacturing economy, manufacturers across the state continue to identify the challenge in finding sufficient people to staff and support their growth ambitions as their biggest. As a consequence, the Manufacturers Association has gone to work providing support to manufacturers facing recruitment and retention challenges, building internship and apprenticeship programs for young people interested in manufacturing careers, and generally using its Employer Growth Services network of affiliated organizations to not only solve today’s issues, but build a framework for a sustainable employee pipeline for the future. In addition to the workforce development issues, the MAME network of member companies assist in everything from strategic plan and succession development, to sales and marketing revitalization, to lean and other process-based improvement opportunities. Current programming at the association includes partnering with Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services of Lewiston) to establish resources for small and medium-sized companies that want to access the diverse talent pool in Maine, but don’t know where to start that process. In October 2024, MAME kicked off Manufacturing Month with an event in Portsmouth, N.H., at the USS Albacore, highlighting career opportunities in the maritime industrial base, which drew almost 500 interested young people from schools across southern Maine.

The strength of the MAME model is clear, enabling member companies to shorten the path to improvement by learning from each other and working together to tap into Maine assets that will support their continued growth. To strengthen that foundation for growth, MAME has an aggressive advocacy posture, working to assure that at the legislature in Augusta, and with the young people of Maine and their parents, we are presenting both the challenges and the opportunities in manufacturing, in order to strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem for many years to come.

— Mike Roughton
Executive Director Manufacturers Association of Maine
mike@mainemfg.com