MAINE PUBLIC • March 24, 2021
From the early 20th century until the 1960s, Maine led the nation in paper production. University of Southern Maine economics professor Michael Hillard examines how national conglomerates began absorbing family-owned companies over time, which were subject to Wall Street demands for greater short-term profits after 1980. He tells the story of blue-collar workers and their families, and he analyzes how paper workers formulated a “folk” version of capitalism’s history in their industry. Ultimately, Hillard offers a telling example of the demise of big industry in the United States.