One year in, Maine Black Chamber of Commerce shows it means business [Video]

This week, Jordene Trueh moved production of her Jamaican jerk marinades from her certified home kitchen in Topsham to Fork Food Lab, a shared commercial kitchen in South Portland.

Almost immediately, she expects sales of her plant-based, allergy-friendly products to expand from seven stores in southern Maine to more than 10. And she sees untold potential for growth through the online platform she’s developing for her year-old company.

“It’s all happening pretty quickly,” said Trueh, 49, who was born in Jamaica and moved to the U.S. when she was 12. “We’re already starting to get inquiries from other stores. With our e-commerce platform we’ll be able to sell nationwide.”

Trueh credits a good portion of her success to the Maine Black Chamber of Commerce – also established last summer – because it helped her make important connections in the business community, secure key financing and position Backriver Blends for what …