NOMINATED BY NANCY STROJNY, SCORE
With a renewed interest in home gardens and produce in the past few years, businesses that cater to this market have seen an increase in opportunities and sales. This is certainly the case for North Spore, a provider of mushroom grow kits for home use. Originally founded as a small mushroom farm in 2014 by Eliah Thanhauser and his business partners, North Spore has seen a number of changes along with the growth of the business.
After selling primarily to restaurants and at farmers’ markets in its first year, North Spore saw an opportunity to diversify and enter a new market: home growing. In 2015 the business added a number of products to its line, including grow kits, mushroom spawn, and equipment that home growers would need. With this new focus, North Spore was able to start seeing significant growth, and with help from their dedicated SCORE mentor, the ownership team was able to scale up in a sustainable way. The sustained growth over the past ten years of operations has meant that the business needed to identify a facility that could accommodate 76 employees and the production needs of a national leader in the industry. Thankfully, North Spore was able to expand to the current 25,000 square foot facility for both production and shipping in Portland with the help of an SBA 504 loan.
By focusing on a core vision for the business, North Spore’s leadership team has guaranteed that the growth of the business does not compromise the values it was founded on. The business remains committed to educating the public on the benefits of including mushrooms in home gardening, the importance of environmental sustainability and sustainable agriculture, and constant innovation to ensure North Spore can remain a part of home growing for years to come.
In recognition of the incredible efforts of North Spore’s leadership in establishing a national industry leader here in Maine, and its support for local sustainable agriculture, the SBA is pleased to name North Spore, LLC as the 2025 Small Business Manufacturer for Maine.
Maine SBA 2025
