Grow Rumford! Opportunity in western Maine

What kind of new business would you like to see in Rumford and the River Valley?

Your Name:

Email address:

What kind of new business would you like to see?

How many times a month would you do business with such a business?12345

Would you be willing to invest in this business?YesNo

Please provide additional information or comments:

RESIDENTS WRITE:

Ed Perry: "A movie house more dentists and jiffy lube. I would invest by taking my family there vs lewiston,farmington etc."

Mark Henry: "Oil change/tune-up place, sporting goods storer with on-site gunsmith service, light manufacturing or support services"

Cyndi: "A movie theater, a Mexican restaurant, a theme park such as Fun Town/Splash Town or Storyland"

Mary Ann: A convenience store in South Rumford. Growing up there was a convenience store that had steady business but closed over 10 years ago and another has never taken it's place. I bet one would do really well serving that side of the river. If the same location could be used as before, even better.

Mark Tripp: "Full service sporting goods store, gunsmithing a must. This area has a lot of outdoor enthusiasts with no real sporting goods store."

Kevin: "A Mexican gift store to go along with the restaurant Cyndi mentioned"

Gloria: a movie theater, a mexican restaurant, dry cleaner

Jack Gaudet: A ceramic green ware shop. "I have not seen a pottery greenware shop where people can buy already poured greenware for cleaning so that they can be fired and painted to individual tastes."

Mitzi Sequoia: A local coffee shop that offers on-site internet/e-mail access by renting out time for the user as well as a coffee shop that offers heart healthy protein, veggie and smoothie shakes along with serving a variety of coffee brands as well as eco-friendly blends. Also, a coffee shop that customers can look at a variety of self-help and computer books while visiting as a customer and one that encourages community share purchases in order to sustain the business over the long term. The coffee shop could consider having high school or local college students do an internship for credits and as a great training for their own entreprenual aspirations. Would visit up to five times per month, willing to invest time as volunteer or shareholder or even as a coffee shop manager!

Michael Hanson: A movie theater and some place for teens to hang out and do stuff other than bowl! Would visit up to 4 times per month. There is nothing in the town of Rumford or local areas for the kids of Rumford to doing anything. If the town wants his younger generation to stay here; than give us something that will make us stay here.

Edward McCaffrey: The idea of opening a small convenience/grocery store on the island has appeal. There are many businesses as well as residents who would benefit by not having to travel to Hannaford or Wal-Mart to shop. Milk, eggs, canned goods, pet foods, packaged meats, breads, sandwiches, some fresh veggies, etc. All of the things a big store carries just on a much smaller scale. I was thinking about the old "Perry's Variety" location. The second floor could be utilized for business as well.

Kelly Gorham: How about a drive in thearter ?? What would bring people into our community ? Remember the old rumford drive inn ? I've been looking into this idea. I've tried to reach a couple of companies that deal in the theater industry but haven't gotten any repies yet. My family owns a large enough piece of property located in east rumford to operate a drive in, but it takes money and I'm thinking about a state of the art digital type drive unlike any other in the state. There's a possibility of moving the whole thing indoors during the winter months that would serve both worlds. When you get people coming into our community it will spur futher growth which is good for all of us

Alexandria Forbes: Discount plus-size store for women and men. Seeking business clothes, casual, and intimate.

Gary A. Morrison, gamart@roadrunner.com A Universal Theological Exchange Center would draw a cornucopia of businesses
Rumford needs a unique attraction that would draw peoples of various cultures to the River Valley area.
Representatives of all the theologies of the world may visit the Center to exchange knowledge and points of view. This would be neutral ground such as the grounds of the United Nations, every religion would be treated as equals. An existing building could be used such as the old Agway building in Rumford. The land ajoining the bridge would begin the neutral grounds. Funding for the Theological Center will come from donations for equal sized rental space from those representing various theologies. Also literature or religious paraphernalia may be retailed there.
Eventually a new building will be erected. The building's achitecture will be based on Sacred Geometry and Sacred Number as is germane to all religions. Eventually a planetarium will also be erected there.One is reminded of the Alexandria Library of ancient Egypt and how scientific knowledge and esoterica was shared there.

Terry Brunette, brujareina@hotmail.com
Greenware/Ceramics Shop & Arts & Craft Teaching Center & Cafe'Tea House with Live Music & Art Demonstrations and Poetry Readings.
It would be a MAGNETIC Draw for those who are Artistically, Musically & Creatively & Spiritually inclined, not to mention - it would draw Business/Commerce and people thus providing income to the area, and create a wholesome environment that is beneficial to the Community and it's Families

Rick Harford rhart5@hotmail.com
I would like to see a complex along the river.....with a state of the art fish hatchery and raising facility that may also have a cannery ..included in this complex would be a museum of the river and it's history, possibly extending that to the mountain region and all of it's history. Included would be famous personalities european and native American. This complex would also have river access, boat launch, canoe trips. Each facet of the museum would bring you to a different area with reproduced or reconstructed early dwellings, sawmills and shops with artisans and craftsman.
This entire project could be powered by the already existing water power plant...Such a project would bring an enormous revenue to region by employing Maine construction companies and craftsmen , and of course the long term integrity of the project itself. Funding for a project on this scale would come from grants , private monies of interested persons by dedicating areas to them, various fund raising projects , and investors.

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