POLAND — The Select Board and the Community Economic Development Committee have named Poland Spring water as the 2020 Poland Business of Year.
“Poland Spring is known locally for being a good neighbor and giving back to the community,” said Matthew Garside, town manager. “They provide support in the form of donations and volunteer efforts with the Tri-town Food Bank, send elementary students in the district to the Ecology School, grant Good Science Scholarships to graduating seniors, donate gifts for the holidays, support our local first responders, sponsor Poland Heritage Day, contribute to the Poland Spring Preservation Society, and conduct their Brookie Buddies program in our elementary school. Their commitment to the town and the entire state of Maine is impressive beyond words.”
The town is home to one of the company’s three Maine bottling plants, providing 350 jobs to the region and nearly 900 statewide.
Poland Spring, represented by Community Relations Manager Heather Printup and Plant Manager Samuel Gordon, received their 2020 Business of the Year award at a small gathering at the Poland Spring Resort on Sept. 9, under a tent donated by Poland Spring for this and future events.
Poland Spring’s history began 175 years ago, when Hiram Ricker first discovered the original source in the woods of Maine. Dating back to 1845, Maine settlers and dignitaries flocked to Poland Spring for its water and picturesque setting. In the early 1900s, a bottling plant and springhouse were built at what is today Preservation Park, which houses a dedication to the growth of the Poland Spring brand.
After a three-year restoration project, the property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was transformed into a museum and event venue open to the public.
