“There is nothing impossible to those who will try.” | | |
~ Alexander the Great ~
Explorer | Commander | King
| | |
AFC Urgent Care in South Portland is known for upholding their slogan "Right Care, Right Now." Whether you want to pre-register or just walk in, you will receive the care you are looking for from a licensed provider, with no referral needed.
Their facility has a wide range of offerings, from urgent care needs to comprehensive occupational health services, to lab testing and general wellness care! By offering evenings and weekends in their hours of operation, they make accessing care more convenient and accessible for everyone.
AFC has been an important part of the Knightville community for 7 years now and we are honored to recognize them this month!
| | |
Address: 230 Waterman Drive, South Portland, ME 04106
Phone: 207-358-3188
| | |
Nominations will be collected until November 16th at which point the EDC will review nominations and select the award recipients.
The recipients will be honored at a public gala celebration on February 24. Award winners will receive a plaque, the recognition they deserve, and an opportunity for some great PR including social media, newsletters and a custom professionally produced video. Check out some of the photos from last year's awards ceremony!
| | Congrats New, Expanded or Relocated Businesses! | |
| | |
9 Donald B Dean Dr.
Skills For Life, a special education preschool, had their grand opening on October 8th! Founders and Educators, Nicole Heal and Ashley St. John, have leased 10,000 square feet in the John Roberts Road Office Park. The school has the space to serve 36 children ages three-five. Their program is year round and aims to teach children the essential communication, social, adaptive, and school readiness skills that they will need in kindergarten and beyond.
| | | |
|
1422 Broadway
Congratulations to Azteca on officially opening their doors at 1422 Broadway. Owners Jamie and Karina have been running a successful food truck, Tacos La Poblanita, since 2019 and have brought some of those famous flavors to a brick and mortar here in Cash Corner! They are currently open every day of the week except Tuesday, so swing by this week and welcome them to the neighborhood!
| | | | | | | |
123 Darling Ave, STE 2
MOXIE Public Schools is a tuition-free public charter school. They offer an innovative middle and high school option for Maine students and families who want and deserve a school experience that goes beyond “good enough” and prepares them to reach their full potential.
| |
Rehab Without Walls
50 Donald B Dean Dr.
Rehab Without Walls provides personalized home and community-based neuro rehabilitation, bringing quality therapy directly to patients in their homes, schools, workplaces, and everyday environments. Their interdisciplinary team collaborates closely with patients and their families and caregivers to build independence, improve daily living skills, and support long-term recovery after neurological injury or illness.
| | | | | |
100 Westbrook St.
Ready Set Grow is an early childhood center where child-led exploration and outdoor learning meet. Their philosophy is rooted in the belief that children learn best through meaningful experiences, hands-on exploration, and strong relationships with the world around them. Their program serves kids from 6 weeks old to elementary age.
| |
Pop Mart
364 Maine Mall
Pop Mart opened its first Maine location in the Maine Mall. They are known for their designer toys and pop culture collectibles.
| | |
Il Forno
333 Clarks Pond Pkwy
Sai Guntaka, owner of Taj Indian Cuisine and Cobblestone Coffee is opening an Italian restaurant in the same plaza with business partner, Jim Baldi. The menu will offer handmade pasta dishes, brick-oven pizzas, and classic entrees. They aim to be open for both lunch and dinner starting mid-October.
| | | | | |
220 Maine Mall Rd. STE 4
Maine Gold & Silver will be moving their storefront to 264 Gorham Rd. this upcoming Spring. This new location will allow them to have an expanded showroom!
| | | | |
Nov 4, 9AM-12PM, 151 Jetport BLVD
This event brings together local employers who are actively hiring, giving jobseekers the opportunity to explore a variety of job openings across different industries and connect directly with hiring managers.
| | |
Nov 5, 5-7PM, Brick South at Thompsons Point
On Thursday, November 5th, Mainebiz will host a special award reception recognizing 40 outstanding young leaders who are shaking up Maine’s business community and leading us into the future. They come from a variety of industries, climbing the corporate ladder or charting their own courses as entrepreneurs..
| | | | | |
Nov 5, 5-8:30 PM, USM Hannaford Hall
Join the Portland Regional chamber for an evening to celebrate and support girls and women's sports featuring a screening of the highly acclaimed film Mighty Mary, narrated by Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Banks, and featuring Mighty Mary team member and Yarmouth resident, Merritt Carey.
| | |
Nov 7, 10AM-2PM, 200 Sabe Oaks Dr.
Maine Job Fair is an annual event designed to connect job seekers with potential employers. This event showcases a variety of companies looking to fill positions across multiple industries. It is recommended you bring copies of your resume with you.
| | | | | |
Nov 11, 4:30-6:30PM, The Send Brewing Co.
Grow your local network, enjoy great local drinks, and get a new headshot. Slots for those looking to get a headshot are limited, so make sure to register in advance. Don't need a headshot? Come network and enjoy a beverage.
| |
Mainebiz 40 Under 40
SoPO Spotlight
| |
Congratulations to Sai Guntaka for being named one of Mainebiz 2026 "40 Under 40"! Guntaka is the owner of two very successful businesses here in South Portland, Taj Indian Cuisine and Cobbestone Coffee & Co. He also plans to open an Italian restaurant called Il Forno with business partner Jim Bald, this Fall at 333 Clarks Pond Parkway. Beyond operating many successful business ventures, he is always finding ways to give back to the SoPo and greater Portland community.
| |
Congratulations to Sai for the much deserved recognition! To read the full profile feature head to the Mainebiz website.
| |
100,000 meals for Mainers facing hunger
At the one-year anniversary celebration of their Food Security Hub located at 75 Darling Ave, Preble Street announced a new partnership with Hannaford Supermarkets and Good Shepard Food Bank that will allow them to provide fresh-packaged meals to all 16 counties in Maine.
This statewide meal program called "Harvest to Home" will address the growing hunger problem in Maine by increasing access to fresh food and reducing the barriers to preparing meals which uniquely affects our older residents, rural residents, and unhoused communities. Prior to the launch of this program, Preble Street Food Security Hub was making and packaging meals that were mostly distributed around Southern Maine, so this new partnership will greatly extend their reach and provide a service that Mainers are experiencing statewide.
| | |
Photo Courtesy of Hannaford Supermarkets
The complete meals are prepared in the South Portland Food Security Hub Kitchen by their chefs and volunteers. The Good Shepard Food Bank will then take those meals and distribute them to their 380 partners across the state of Maine. The project has received grant funding for one-year through Hannaford's Eat Well, Be Well initiative. We want to extend a huge congratulations to Preble Street Food Security Hub on a successful first year and to all three parties on an exciting and empowering partnership.
| | Financial Assistance Programs | | |
Loan Program Spotlight
Kim Nappi, Physical Therapist and owner of Move Forward PT located in Knightville, recently utilized the Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund program to purchase an expensive piece of equipment meant for shockwave therapy. This investment allows her practice to offer an advanced service that enhances client treatment and reaches a wider range of people. With the help of this loan, she is now the only physical therapy office in South Portland to use this shock wave equipment.
This was the first loan from the revamped RLF program. The program supports local economic growth by offering affordable financing to South Portland businesses expanding in key commercial and mixed-use areas.
| | | |
Established through a $1,000,000 grant in 2025 and an additional $500,000 in 2026, this program provides low-interest loans or subgrants to our community's property owners to assist with contamination cleanup, helping to redevelop and transform these sites.
To learn more about the program and apply for funding, please reach out to our team directly for information and personal assistance determining your site's eligibility.
** Website ** Email ** Phone: 207.347.4125 **
| | |
Our team recently attended a regional domestic trade seminar hosted by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The event brought together economic developers, local leaders, and industry partners to discuss how businesses can grow by expanding into out-of-state markets, strengthening business-to-business relationships, and connecting to national supply chains.
Key strategies highlighted for growing Maine's economy include:
- Identifying industries with strong growth potential
- Targeting focus areas for sales expansion
- Guiding conversations with local employers and partners
- Informing investments in workforce, infrastructure, and business support
| | | DECD also introduced a new tool, "Maine Engage," which offers access to industry reports, market data, and labor data to support business strategy and growth.For more information, you can reach out to DECD BizAwards.DECD@maine.gov or contact South Portland Economic Development at bizsupport@southportland.gov or 207-347-4139. | | |
The City of South Portland is offering a new tool to help you weigh in on local issues that matter to you! 1 minute a month is all it takes with FlashVote. Sign up in seconds here.
How it works: You'll get mini-surveys throughout the year on a variety of topics. Your feedback is always anonymous, and you can see how you and your neighbors responded in 48 hours. We invite residents, those who work in South Portland, students, and anyone who is part of our community to participate.
| | |
Enjoying our newsletter?
Please share it with your colleagues, friends and family.
Here is the sign up link!
______________________________________
| | |
Please reach out to our team at bizsupport@southportland.gov
with any questions or news you'd like to highlight!
| | The content presented in this Newsletter is gathered from a variety of sources and is presented for the information of our readers. The appearance of information in this Newsletter about any item or event should not be interpreted as support or endorsement by the City of South Portland (hereinafter, referred to as the “City”), the elected or appointed officials of the City, City Staff, or any Agents of the City. | | | | |
