BETHEL, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) attended the Bethel Area Chamber Annual Meeting and Dinner at the Bethel Inn Resort. At the meeting, Senator King met with local business leaders to congratulate them on their success in economic development and job creation, and thank them for their economic contributions to the region.

 “Maine is a great place to live and work, and the men and women who make up the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce know it. That’s why they’ve worked so hard and invested so much in their businesses – and it’s why they’ve kept those businesses right here in Maine,” said Senator King. “These businesses have evolved so much in recent years, and the Chamber has evolved with its membership – from providing opportunities for networking and new businesses to setting up community events and providing workforce training, the people in Bethel know just how important the Chamber of Commerce is to the community. In Bethel and in communities across Maine, Chambers of Commerce have become a major community resource: they drive the economy, provide community investment and ingenuity, and work to secure the long-term success of the region by investing in people through training and education. Through the leadership and dedication of so many here tonight, the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce has made Oxford County a great place to live.” 

Senator King has consistently visited small businesses throughout Maine to celebrate innovation, ingenuity and discuss challenges and obstacles to success. Earlier this month Senator King visited the Tambrands manufacturing facility in Auburn to tour the facility and meet with the company’s senior leadership and employees. In August, Senator King celebrated Maine innovation and entrepreneurship at the unveiling of the newest renovations to the UpStart Center for Entrepreneurship in Orono. The Center, is Maine’s longest running incubator for startup businesses and provides resources, technological support and coaching for future entrepreneurs. Also in August, he met with management at Origin Maine, a martial arts and athletics-wear manufacturer in Farmington, as well as leaders of Nine Dragons Paper LLC at the company’s Rumford mill, which was recently purchased from Catalyst Paper. He also visited with a number of Lewiston businesses, including Elmet Technology and Central Distributors and ate lunch with a group of entrepreneurs who are members of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. In July, Senator King focused on agricultural innovation and visited Buck Farms in Mapleton and Michaud Farms in Fort Fairfield to discuss opportunities to diversify Maine’s crop selection and clean energy production. These visits are a part of Senator King’s ongoing effort to meet with Maine people throughout the state; since taking office in 2013, he has held more than 1,200 meetings and events across Maine.