Golden Meets with Local Leaders and Small Business Owners in Skowhegan

SKOWHEGAN— Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) headed to Skowhegan today to hear from local leaders and small business owners in downtown Skowhegan about the community’s opportunities and challenges as its economy changes and grows. The congressman held a roundtable with downtown small businesses and toured several sites that are being redeveloped in the coming years.

“Thanks to the work of local leaders and the small business community, Skowhegan is doing the work to create opportunities for growth,” said Golden. “That’s a good thing, but economic development and transition always bring challenges as well, like workforce needs, strain on infrastructure and social services, and other issues. It was important to sit down with some of the small business leaders driving investment in this community to understand their needs for the future and identify ways our office can be supportive. Thanks to Main Street Skowhegan and the Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce for having me and to all the small business owners who offered their perspectives today.”

Golden was hosted by Kristina Cannon, Executive Director of Main Street Skowhegan, and Sam Hight, the acting Director of the Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce. Main Street Skowhegan is a nonprofit organization focused on the revitalization of downtown Skowhegan. The Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce is a network of business support resources.

Among those who participated in the roundtable with Golden were representatives of local schools and adult education programs, health care providers, banking and lending institutions, restaurant owners, brewers, insurance providers, and others. 

Since his election to Congress, Golden has been a champion of rural small business owners and entrepreneurs. As the Chairman of the Underserved, Agricultural, and Rural Business Development Subcommittee, Golden has consistently advocated for resources and support for small businesses. In April, the House of Representatives passed Golden’s bipartisan legislation to help more small businesses across the country launch, grow, and retain workers through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program. 

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