The assets of Mainely Newspapers, Inc., the publishers of six weekly newspapers including the South Portland/ Cape Elizabeth Sentry, have been sold by David and Carolyn Flood to a new Biddeford based media company, Mainely Media, LLC., effective today.
Chris P. Miles will lead the new firm which is a sister company to Beacon Press Inc. publisher of The Journal-Tribune, Making it at Home and The Northern Light newspapers.  All of the 26 employees of the Mainely Newspapers will be rehired by Mainely Media, LLC.
“Carolyn and David have done a fine job with the newspapers and we are excited about the opportunity to continue the tradition of providing quality publications that serve our readers and advertisers ,” Miles said. “We are impressed with the success of the weekly newspapers and see this as a way to expand in the growing southern Maine market.”
“This is a bittersweet moment for us,” David Flood said. “We started this company from scratch in 1989 and have seen it grow every year since. At the same time the sale will allow us to choose what we intend to do for the rest of our lives.”
The Floods will remain in the area and they retain ownership of the building at 180 Main St., Biddeford where Mainely Media will continue to publish the newspapers under a lease agreement. In fact, the Floods have just agreed to buy a house in Biddeford and intend to move there by the end of March.
“I’ve been active in downtown Biddeford since we came here,” Flood said. “This will allow me more time to be active. And I know Carolyn is also looking forward to leaving the demands of business ownership behind. Anyone who has ever owned a small business would understand that.”
The Floods have long-time ties to Biddeford. David’s father, Jim, is a 1946 graduate of Biddeford High School and David’s paternal grandparents were born, raised and died in Biddeford.