Certainly there are a lot of good things happening in Westbrook right now. Last month’s announcement that Idexx Laboratories intends to invest $100 million in an expansion that would bring 500 new jobs here is something that any city in the country would want.
The city needs to continue to build on the momentum begun by the Idexx announcement.
Last October, the city held a summit to discuss economic development. One of the things discussed at the summit was a public relations campaign to promote Westbrook throughout Maine and New England. Other cities in the area have done similar campaigns, one of the most notable being Lewiston/Auburn’s “It’s Happening Here” campaign. These campaigns are designed to aggressively market cities and what they have to offer, and they have been successful.
Since the “It’s Happening Here” marketing campaign began, the cities of Lewiston and Auburn have built a reputation as being business friendly, and businesses like Wal-Mart, which is locating a major distribution center in Lewiston have responded.
There’s no reason why Westbrook can’t do the same thing.
A quick tour of Westbrook reveals there are things happening here. Work continues to progress on the old Warren Furniture building, which will certainly bring new life to the western end of Main Street. Construction is progressing on the new Cinemagic movie theater on County Road, and Maine Medical Center’s plans for a new medical building where the old Cumberland Mills Police Station now stands crumbling is another good sign of Westbrook’s rebirth.
While those projects are certainly good ones for the city, Westbrook needs to do more to keep growing. Westbrook has a lot going for it – a solid school system, its proximity to Portland and the Maine Turnpike. It’s also not too far from lakes and mountains. All of these are selling points, but the city needs to do something to set itself apart from the other cities and towns in Maine clamoring for businesses.
That’s where an aggressive marketing campaign comes in.
Such a campaign would allow the city to show what it can offer to business, both large and small. Sure, campaigns like that are expensive, but in the long run, if it works and businesses start to come here, it’ll be money well spent. And no one can argue with success.
And the city shouldn’t just concentrate on bringing in another company on the scale of Idexx. Companies that size are few and far between in Maine. But there are plenty of small growing companies looking for a home, and Westbrook would be well served by courting those smaller businesses. After all, even the biggest companies had to start somewhere, Idexx started out with just a handful of employees in a small space in Portland.
This city has a lot to be proud of. It just needs to find a way to get more companies to say “why not” to Westbrook.
Mike Higgins, assistant editor
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