Hyperlite Mountain Gear has grown from a startup in a Kennebunk garage into one of Biddeford’s most celebrated businesses. It’s a world-renowned outdoor equipment brand, yet its roots are humble and innovative—much like its founder, Mike St. Pierre.

When we meet in Hyperlite’s headquarters in Pepperell Mill, Mike explains his unconventional career path. He began as an audio engineer, touring with Don Henley and The Eagles. Then he trained as a chef in some of the country’s most acclaimed restaurants, including New York City’s three-Michelin-star Per Se. But his love for the great outdoors brought him back to Maine. And when he couldn’t find the equipment for hikes, he set about creating it himself.

“I’ve always chosen things I’m passionate about,” explains Mike. “When I started Hyperlite, most of the products out there were overbuilt and really heavy. Manufacturers had lost sight of what was truly important, adding more features, pockets, and zippers. We stripped everything back to the essentials.”

He started the company in his garage in Kennebunk. By 2010, the fast-growing business had relocated to the Pepperrell Mill campus in Biddeford. Mike arrived just as the historic textile complex was beginning its transformation into a vibrant community of apartments, restaurants, small businesses, and arts studios.

“It was pretty bohemian back then,” he says, grinning. “And it gave us so much room to grow.”

It turned out to be the perfect launch pad. The company’s ultralight backpacks, tents, and accessories became popular with adventurers around the world. They are especially well known in the U.S. among hikers tackling iconic routes like the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. The brand’s fanbase spans climbers, backcountry skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds.

“Our philosophy is striking the optimal balance between weight, durability, and weather protection,” says Mike.

Today, Hyperlite serves customers globally through its online store and an international network of retailers. But Maine remains central to the company’s identity. Mike says the collaborative environment at the mills continues to be a vital part of their culture. Its product development, research and development, marketing, customer service, fulfillment and finance teams remain based here.

Mike also says he’s encouraged by the energy CORE has brought since taking over management of Pepperrell Mill.

“CORE seems genuinely interested in tenants’ perspectives and how the campus can continue to improve,” he says. “We’ve been part of conversations about future ideas. It’s exciting to see continued investment into making this a place where businesses can thrive.”

Learn more about Hyperlite Mountain Gear at hyperlitemountaingear.com.

On a nondescript part of Cumberland Avenue, a block away from Maine Historical Society, you’ll find what some people argue is the best pizza in the entire world. Not just in Portland or the northeast.

Pizzaiolo means a pizza maker in Italian. “It means ‘pizza guy’” explains owner Patrick Scally, aka Pat. (A female pizza maker is called a pizzaiola.) Pat is quick to point out that the pizza his team creates has its roots in the Big Apple.

“This isn’t New York-style pizza,” he says when we sit down to talk. “This is New York pizza.”

It’s certainly a busy spot. Kids from nearby Portland High School are sitting at two of the three tables. Two men holding hard hats stand in line for slices, while a DoorDash delivery person walks out holding a tower of about ten pizza cartons.

“We sell more types of pizza than anywhere else,” Pat explains. “We have anywhere from 15-24 different kinds each day. We also use fresh ingredients—fresh beef, fresh mushrooms. Our meatballs are the best in the city.”

He points to a wall where a series of reviews are framed in glass. These are the accounts of various journalists and food writers who have stumbled in and discovered pizza perfection.

Pat is an intriguing character. He was born in Area 51, New Mexico, to a father who worked in the military. He was then raised between Downeast and Portland. Fresh out of school, he got a job at Papa Ginos. His can-do attitude got him promoted to general manager within 18 months. It was in San Diego that he got his big break, landing a job at the award-winning and world-renowned Bronx Pizza.

“I probably threw over a million pizza doughs into the air while I was there,” he muses.

When he came back home, he set up his own store and began teaching a new generation of Portlanders how to make sublime pizza.

“It’s all about the love in the dough,” he says, smiling. I look behind the counter to watch store manager Mitch Harmon toss fresh dough into the air. “It’s what my mom always used to say. If someone isn’t feeling right, you’ll know it in the dough.”

Pizzaiolo, 360 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, ME, https://pizzaioloportland.com/ 

Photo courtesy Sharyn Peavey Photography

Step into The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Freeport on the hill below Main Street and you’ll first be met by the smell. Aromas drift from hundreds of glass jars filled with over 100 types of blended spices, 80+ full leaf teas, and countless salts, sugars, and honeys.

If you’re lucky, you’ll also meet Joel Elliot, the new owner of this Freeport franchise. You’ll know him by his sheer friendliness; he’ll get you talking, and before you know it, he’ll be whipping out a jar and recommending a particular type of tea for you to taste.

Joel is new to Freeport. He relocated from Rochester, New York to Maine with his wife in late 2025. They moved to be close to his son, daughter-in-law, and young grandson. Not long after arriving, Joel discovered an opportunity to take over The Spice & Tea Exchange of Freeport from its previous owners.

“I like to say I bought myself a job,” he says with a laugh.

The Spice & Tea Exchange has its roots in St. Augustine, Florida, where its founders transformed a small spice shop into a national franchise. Today, there are nearly 100 locations across the country, each independently owned and operated.

“They’ve built a magnificent system,” he says. “My job is to bring it to life here—to execute it well and further build a great team.”

Joel is building connections across the Freeport business community and wider food industry in Maine. He’s also booking bands for his new monthly concert series in the shop. He’s quick to credit CORE for supporting the swift transition of the store. “They’ve been great landlords—responsive, thoughtful, easy to work with,” he says. “When you’re starting something new, that kind of partnership really matters.”

He also points out that the product itself is impressive: “We’re not pulling products off a factory line. We’re zesting citrus, dehydrating ingredients, and blending spices by hand. It’s as close as we can get to what nature produces.”

CORE acquired 6 Mill Street several years ago; the building was vacant at the time. Since then, in addition to the Spice and Tea Exchange, the acclaimed Maine brand Sea Love has opened a gorgeous space on the upper floor. CORE has played a major role in bringing businesses back into Freeport’s downtown in the years since the Covid pandemic, and the town is currently seeing significant development interest as a result.

From his side, Joel has decades of leadership experience to draw on in his new venture; he spent 20 years in the travel industry and has worked for various nonprofit organizations in healthcare, food systems, and workforce development.

But in many ways, this new chapter is a return to something far more personal.

Back in the early 1980s, Joel launched a small coffee and tea concept in his friend’s bookstore in San Francisco. It was called Tradewind Coffee and Tea.

“It was just a little nook,” he says smiling. “But it planted the seed.”

More than 40 years later, that seed has sprouted, crossed the country, and taken root in Freeport, Maine.

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Freeport celebrates its grand re-opening on May 1-3. You can find it at 6 Mill Street, Freeport