BIDDEFORD — Recent college graduate Henry Pelletier said he always wanted to start his own business. After connecting with the downtown revitalization organization Heart of Biddeford, he got that chance.

You can find Pelletier most days during the month of August at the Main Street Mills Marketplace on Main Street, a pop-up store that sells all Biddeford-made goods.

Pelletier, who is a Biddeford High School graduate, said after graduating from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, where he majored in business administration and with a concentration in project management, he came back home and looked around for an internship where he could put his talents to use.

“I thought about the Heart of Biddeford, because they had visited the high school a few times,” he said.

After talking with HOB Executive Director Delilah Poupore, Pelletier said the pop-up store sounded like the idea that most matched his interests.

“It seemed like the best project to fulfill my desires and fulfill their needs,” he said.

While the store just opened for the first time on Monday, Pelletier said he has been working on the project since May.

Since then, he’s been trying to get the word out to the businesses about the store, working with Poupore on the necessary paperwork, and dealing with the many other aspects of starting a new business.

When he thought of having his own business, said Pelletier, he never thought about retail, but he said many of the lessons he’s learned this summer are lessons that can apply elsewhere.

“I’ve learned a lot,” he said.

While Pelletier is getting something out of the experience, so ”“ hopefully ”“ will the businesses with items in the store.

Steve Ryder of Ryder Designs placed some of his crafted wood furniture in the store.

“It’s always good for more exposure,” he said, adding that the store “is a good idea for the town.”

“Anything that helps out downtown Biddeford is always good,” said Ryder, who works out of the Lincoln Mill.

Clayton & Jones, also a wood furniture and design company located in the Lincoln Mill, will have items in the pop-up store starting next week as well.

“We really support what the Heart of Biddeford is doing, working to generate economic growth,” said Jenn Jones, a company principal.

She said the company was pleased to be invited to participate in the pop-up store.

“We wanted to have a presence” in Biddeford, she said, and “be part of stimulating economic growth in Biddeford.”

Other local companies that have their products at the pop-up store include: Wholly Crow, which features works by Heartwood College of Art instructors, such as tea towels; Hyperlight, which makes mountain gear like backpacks; Retire Girl’s Attic, which has vintage kitchen products; Maidstone Knits, which has hats and scarves; Growling Gourmet, which creates handcrafted, organic dog treats; Jill’s Eclectic Design, which has artwork; Artas Designs, which features wood furniture; and Aptilite, which creates LED lighting fixtures.

“All the products in the store are made in various mills in Biddeford,” said Poupore.

The purpose of pop-up stores, which are just short-term businesses, are to take a vacant storefront and put it into use, hoping to attract people to that business and then maybe direct them to other businesses in the downtown, she said.

It’s also an opportunity for market research, said Poupore.

Heart of Biddeford has had pop-up stores before, she said, in 2011 and in 2013. When several current business owners saw those businesses in the once vacant Main Street storefronts, they could envision their business locating there.

Today, Dahlia’s Delight and Elements are in locations that were the sites of previous pop-up stores, said Poupore.

Someone has already expressed interest in operating the store full-time, she said.

“That would be a great outcome,” said Poupore.

Main Street Mills Marketplace is located at 128 Main St., Biddeford. Store hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store will be open through Aug. 30.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.