Chamber lauds Mill, Dave’s World

Two earn Businesses of the Year honors

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — A new business in the region and another that has been established in the community for over half a century were both honored with Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year recognition during the annual meeting on Oct. 6 at the Mill Event Space. The Mill Inn & Cafe was honored as the Chamber’s first New Business of the Year and Dave’s World of Dover-Foxcroft is the 2016 Business of the Year.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

CHAMBER BUSINESS OF THE YEAR — Dave’s World of Dover-Foxcroft was honored as the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Business of the Year  during the Chamber’s annual meeting on Oct. 6 at the Mill Event Space. The business ownership group was also presented with a Legislative Sentiment from the area’s delegation to Augusta. From from are Robert Jankunas, State Rep. Paul Stearns (R-Guilford), Matthew Scott, Dan Sharrow, State Sen. Paul Davis (R-Sangerville) and State Rep. Norm Higgins (R-Dover-Foxcroft).

Nominees for the Business of the Year need to be in operation and members of the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce for at least two years, but the Chamber’s board of directors felt the time had come to introduce a second award for businesses which do not meet the two-year mark but have made a substantial impact on the community in only a short amount of time.

Opening just over a year ago, and given the number of nominations that came in and from all the feedback Chamber officials have received, the Mill Inn & Cafe was chosen for the inaugural New Business of the Year honor. The establishment’s place to eat and stay is part of a larger project of the Arnold Development Group of Kansas City, Mo. that has transformed the former downtown manufacturing space into a destination for residents and visitors alike.

Mill Inn & Cafe Inn Manager Jade Harmon and Cafe Manager Lydia Spencer accepted the award on behalf of the Arnold Development Group. They also were presented with a Legislative Sentiment from State Sen. Paul Davis (R-Sangerville), State Rep. Norm Higgins (R-Dover-Foxcroft) and State Rep. Paul Stearns (R-Guilford).

“Dave’s World has been a staple business since the beginning here in the community,” Chamber President Chris McGary said. Dave’s World offers heat pumps, appliances, flooring, mattresses, cabinets and countertops. The store is also an authorized agent of U.S. Cellular and the only mobile service provider located in Piscataquis County. This mainstay of the Dover-Foxcroft business community has been in the appliance business since the 1950s, family-owned by members of the Sharrow family since 1984 and has been under the current ownership team of Robert Jankunas, Matthew Scott and Dan Sharrow for the last decade. Dave’s World employs nearly 50 people directly and uses another seven contractors on a consistent basis.

Jankunas, Scott and Sharrow, who were joined by several of their employees at the annual meeting, accepted the Business of the Year honor as well as a Legislative Sentiment from the region’s Augusta delegation.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR — The Mill Inn & Cafe is the recipient of the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce’s New Business of the Year. From left are State Sen. Paul Davis (R-Sangerville), State Rep. Paul Stearns (R-Guilford), Cafe Manager Lydia Spencer, Inn Manager Jade Harmon and State Rep. Norm Higgins (R-Dover-Foxcroft).