Exploring Maine’s Business Landscape: MBS Students Visit IDEXX and Allagash Brewing on Fall Bear Treks

This fall, the Maine Business School brought 28 undergraduate students to Portland for a Bear Treks trip featuring visits to IDEXX Laboratories and Allagash Brewing Company—two of Maine’s most innovative and successful businesses.

Bear Treks trips are one of MBS’s signature experiential learning opportunities, offering students the chance to explore different industries, connect with professionals, and practice networking in real-world settings. Thanks to generous donor support, these trips are free for all students.

First-year student Esther Penney, from Freeport, joined the trip to learn more about southern Maine businesses and practice her networking skills.

“I 100% would encourage all business students to go on Bear Treks,” Esther says. “It’s such an amazing opportunity to meet people you could potentially work with in the future and to build connections that will be helpful when searching for jobs or internships.”

At IDEXX Laboratories, a global leader in veterinary diagnostics, livestock testing, and water quality solutions, students toured the company’s Westbrook headquarters and met with employees, recruiters, and UMaine alumni. With more than 11,000 employees worldwide, IDEXX gave students a firsthand look at how a global company operates—all from right here in Maine.

The second stop brought students to Allagash Brewing Company, one of the nation’s most respected craft breweries and home to the award-winning Allagash White. During a guided tour, students sampled Allagash Hop Water and heard from a panel of employees representing HR, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Hospitality, and Engineering.

“From our perspective, hosting the Bear Treks trip was more than just a facility tour—it was a chance to welcome students into the world of Maine’s largest craft brewery,” says Meg Sweet, Recruiting Specialist at Allagash. “We wanted to share what makes our work meaningful, highlight the variety of career paths in the craft beverage industry, and show how creativity, collaboration, and community come together in everything we do.”

The day concluded with an MBS Young Alumni networking event at Allagash, where students connected with recent graduates working in the Portland area.

“Meeting alumni was so helpful,” Esther says. “I had great conversations with other accounting and finance majors who shared advice, contacts, and encouragement. It was really reassuring to hear about their experiences after graduation.”

From global innovation at IDEXX to local creativity at Allagash, the Portland Bear Treks trip gave students an inside look at Maine’s thriving business community—and a chance to imagine their own career paths within it.