>>>
>>> WE
>>> WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT THE STATE OF MAINE 4@ WANTING TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES TO MOVE
YOUR.
IT IS GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY AND
CREATES NEW JOBS BUT HOW DOES
IT HAPPEN?4@
IN THE CASE OF A COMPANY CALLED
DISTANT HARVEST, IT HAPPENED
BECAUSE OF A SHOW OF HANDS.
>>> IT USED TO BE BASED IN
NORTH CAROLINA.
WHEN SHE DECIDED HER COMPANY
NEEDED TO MOVE IT HAD PLENTY OF
PLACES TO CHOOSE FROM BUT 4@ALL
OF THE POLICES PIECES FELL INTO
PLACE.
WE SPOKE WITH THE4@ DESERT
HARVEST MANAGER.
4@ >> Reporter: IN RECENT 4@YEARS,
HER HUSBAND HAS HAD SOME4@4@ HE
CHALLENGES AND HIS DOCTORS FELT
HE WOULD DO BETTER IN A LESS
HUMID CLIMATES.
THEY DECIDED TO MOVE THE
COMPANY NORTH.
>> IN THEORY, YOU COULD DO WHAT
YOU DO FROM ANYWHERE.
>> CORRECT.
WE WERE VERY LUCKY IN THE FACT
THAT WE WERE ALREADY4@ COVID
PROOF IN THE SENSE THAT WE WER4
ALREADY ONLINE, WE ALREADY HAD
DISTRIBUTION WORLDWIDE.4@
>>> THE MANUFACTURER LINE OF
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AND
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS USING ALOE
VERA. 4@
HER HUSBAND IS FROM VERMONT, SO
WHEN THEY STARTED THINKING
ABOUT MOVING, THEY QUICKLY
ZEROED IN ON4@ RELOCATING TO NE
ENGLAND.
>> ORIGINALLY WE HAD GOTTEN
OFFERS FROM THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPM4@ENT OFFICE IN THE STA
>> ORIGINALLY WE HAD GOTTEN OFFERS FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPM4@ENT OFFICE IN THE STA@
OF VERMONT. WE WERE TRACKING
TOWARDS VERMONT AND THEN4@4@ WE
STARTED WORKING WITH THE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
HERE IN THE STATE OF MAINE.
AND WE HAVE THESE OPTIONS AND 4
THERE WAS, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO
DECIDE?
US WE BROUGHT IN STAFF TO HELP
US DECIDE WHAT4@4@ WE WERE GOIN
DO.
WOULD YOU PREFER MAINE OR WOULD
YOU PREFER VERMONT?
>> THAT MEANT PUTTING THE MOVE
TO A VOTE.
>> WE SAT DOWN AND IT WAS LIKE,
WE WERE THINKING ABOUT MOVING
AND EVERYBODY WAS LIKE, OKAY.
AND WE WILL 4@GO.
BUT 4@WHERE?
SO, THE THINGS THAT WE LOVE
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA,4@ MAINE
ALSO HAD TO OFFER.
WE LOVE THE BEACH.
WE ARE MORE COUNTRY PEOPLE
RATHER TH4@AN 4@ CITYFOLK.
WE LIKE THAT LAID-BACK
LIFESTYLE WOULD LIKE TO BE
OUTDOORS AND4@4@4@ 4@MAINE HAVE
THAT TO OFFER.
THE STATE IS JUST GORGEOUS.
WEEKEND TO VISIT, EVERYONE WAS
INSTANTLY IN LOVE.
FELT LIKE HOME.?
WHEN YOU POSE THE QUESTION
ABOUT MO4@VING, HOW MANY PEOPLE
WERE YOU POSING IT TO?
>> 15 INITIALLY AND OF THAT , 9
TRAVELED WITH US.
>>> MOVING HERE FOR YOU GUYS
DID NOT FEEL LIKE YOU WERE
MOVING ON YOUR OWN, BECAUSE YOU
BROUGHT THE TRIBE ALONG WITH
YOU.
>> YES.
WE SUPPORTED EACH OTHER AND
THERE WAS A CARAVAN AND WHEN WE
WERE DRIVING APPEAR, WE MA4@DE
SURE EVERYONE WENT GROUPS
TOGETHER.
WAS VERY MUCH,4@ WE COULD NOT
HAVE DONE THIS IF WE DO NOT DO
THIS AS A TEAM.
WE ARE VERY MUCH A 4@FAMILY.
I CAN ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER.
>> KNOW HOW DID YOU SETTLE ON
ELLSWORTH?
>> NOW ONCE WE DECIDED IT WAS
GOING TO BE MAINE, EVERYONE
THE STAFFS OF YOU LOOKING
AROUND THE STATE AND WE WOULD
BRING TOWNS AND ASK WHAT WE
THOUGHT OF THAT, AND THEN WE
FOUND ACADIA.
AND, THAT 4@JUST SAID, WE HAVE
GO UP AND LOOK AT THIS AREA.
>> THAT MADE THE DRIVE TO4@4@ M
FROM SOUTH CAROLINA AND 4@ DROV
TO PORTLAND AND KEPT GOING.
>> EVEN IN THE BLUEB HILL
PENINSULA, HAD THE 4@SAME PHIL,
THE BEAUTY.
IT IS AWE-INSPIRING.
AND,4@4@ 4@WE COULD NOT IMAGINE
LIVING ANYWHERE ELSE.
>> Reporter: THEY FOUND A
BUILDING DOWNTOWN AND FELT AS
THOUGH IT WOULD BE PART OF THE
COMMUNITY.
MOVING4@4@ NINE STAFF MEMBERS A
THEIR FAMILIES DURING A
PANDEMIC IS 4@NO SM4@ALL TASK.
STAFF VISITED A FEW AT A TIME
EACH TIME GETTING COVID TESTED,
STAFF VISITED A FEW AT A TIME EACH TIME GETTING COVID TESTED,@ STAYING DISTANCE, AND
QUARANTINING WHEN THEY WENT
BACK HOME.
>> ALL THE PIECES JUST STARTED
TO FALL INTO PLACE FOR US.
>> AND WHEN 4@IT COMES TO MAINE
IF THEY'RE 4@NOT USED TO THE
WINTERS, THAT IS A PRETTY BIG
ADJUSTMENT AND YOU GUYS4@4@ DID
COUNT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
SPRING TO HAVE ALL OF THE
SPRING AND SUMMER TO ENJOY.
YOU CAME IN NOVEMBER AND REALLY
RIGHT INTO WINTER.4@
WANT TO ASK BOTH OF YOU, HOW IS
THAT, HOW HAS THAT BEEN FOR
YOU?
>> WONDERFUL, ACTUALLY.
WE WILL SAY FOR US, SO MIND
YOU, I AM FROM COLORADO
ORIGINALLY AND SHE IS FROM
UPSTATE NEW YORK ORIGINALLY, SO
, AND MY HUSBAND IS FROM
VERMONT SO FOR US, THE REST OF
THE STAFF IS ALL FROM 4@NORTH
CAROLINA.4@
THEY ARE ALL FROM THE SOUTH.
IT'S BEEN THE TRANSITION FOR
THEM.
THEY ALL HAVE SPACE HEATERS
NEXT TO THE DESKS AND THEY ARE
ACCLIMATING.
THEY HAVE LEARNED THE
IMPORTANCE OF LAYERS AND THAT
4@ HATS, GLOVES,4@ AND SCARVES ARE
FOR FUNCTION, NOT FOR FASHION.
>> WHAT YOU LOOKING MOST
FORWARD TO FOR SPRING AND
SUMMER IN MAINE WHEN IT 4@ COME
BACK AROUND?
>> OUTDOORS.
I AM ON A QUEST TO FIND A
MO4@OSE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I'VE
DECIDED THAT4@4@ THEY MIGHT BE
SPIRIT ANIMAL AND SO EVERY
WEEKEND RIGHT NOW, WE'VE BEEN
DRIVING AROUND ALL OVER 4@THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE
TRYING TO FIND ONE AND I AM ON