Bates of Maine, the bedding products manufacturer occupying the old Bates Mill i

Bates of Maine, the bedding products manufacturer occupying the old Bates Mill in Lewiston, has received a $500,000 loan from Fleet Bank, with 90 percent of it guaranteed by the Finance Authority of Maine. The financing should allow the company to expand its work force from 95 to 120. Bates of Maine expects to custom weave 200,000 bedspreads this year and more than 300,000 next year, and sales should increase over the next year from $4 million to $6 million