This story was originally produced by the Portsmouth Herald. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
At the historic Conner Bottling Works in Newfields, 17 bottles of small-batch soda rattle off the lone production line each minute, clanging as they hit a spinning collection plate.
For Tom Conner — whose great-grandfather started the business in 1863 that evolved into Squamscot Old Fashioned Beverages — and his wife, Eileen, it’s a sound they may not hear for much longer.
The couple — who handle all aspects of the business from sales to production to delivery — are preparing to sell the long-standing production plant and historic home that has borne witness to at least four generations of the Conner family. The 2.5-acre property hit the market earlier this month with a $1.5 million price tag.
The decision to sell, Tom Conner said, was “tough.” But with no one else interested in continuing the family business, the time was right to chart a course for retirement.
Continue reading this story at Seacoast Online.
