Private Equity Investors Destroying Maine Businesses and Institutions
- Big Lots: Following a failed sale to a private equity firm, Big Lots is closing several locations in Maine, with reports in late 2024 and 2025 indicating closures in Auburn, Augusta, Brunswick, and Farmington.
- Family Dollar: After being sold to private equity firms Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management in July 2025, the chain has continued to shed locations. At least 11 stores in Maine have closed, including a location in Old Orchard Beach.
- Joann Fabrics: After declaring bankruptcy for a second time and being acquired by a private equity firm in late 2024/early 2025, Joann planned to close multiple stores, with reports indicating closures for all five Maine locations.
- Claire's: Following its acquisition by an affiliate of private equity firm Ames Watson in August 2025, some locations were spared, but the chain has undergone a significant reduction in its footprint.
- Olympia Sports: Formerly based in Maine, this chain closed its remaining 35 stores after being sold to a private equity-owned firm.
- Party City: The retailer is closing two Maine locations in early 2025.
- Denny's: Following a $322 million deal to sell to private equity firm TriArtisan Capital Advisors, the chain is restructuring, with a Maine location in Augusta having closed in late 2024.
- Local Restaurant/Retail Closures: As of early January 2026, several independent or smaller chain businesses have announced closures, including Reny's in downtown Portland, Bull Moose in North Windham, and multiple restaurants.
- High Costs: The Maine Chamber of Commerce cited high insurance, energy, and labor costs as key drivers for these closures.
- Hospital Sector: Concerns have been raised regarding private equity firms acquiring Maine hospitals, with some groups citing risks to the stability of the healthcare system.
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Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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