Each week we feature a fun factoid about a different Maine town. Got a good one? Email us at [email protected]. DEXTER: If you love outlet shopping in places like Freeport and Kittery, you have Harold Alfond and the town of Dexter to thank for it. Dexter Shoe Co., founded in an old woolen mill in Dexter in 1956 by Alfond, was the first retailer to open a factory outlet, with the log cabin-style Dexter shoe outlets becoming ubiquitous across New England in the latter half of the 20th century. In 1993, Alfond sold Dexter Shoe to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway; the $433 million sale helped Alfond invest in countless causes across the state, including education, athletics and health care.
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