WESTBROOK – Julie Wright may live in South Portland, where she went to high school, but she attended school as a child in Westbrook, and is the daughter of a Westbrook native, so she knows the city well.

For nearly 10 years, Wright, 39, has been making a career out of massage and day spa treatments, starting in 2003 making house calls to clients. By 2005, she had opened Soma Massage and Wellness in South Portland.

Now, Wright is looking to expand her business into Westbrook at 863 Main St., taking advantage of the up-and-coming downtown area. She plans to open her second location on Oct. 1, and this week, she talked about her business, her plans for Westbrook and beyond.

Q: What drew your interest to massage and related treatments?

A: From an early age I have always had a desire to want to help people. I found myself gravitating toward social work and positions in nonprofit organizations that worked with people. While I found this work rewarding, inwardly I still felt as though something was missing. I had taken a non-credit class while studying at University of Southern Maine called “Introduction to Massage Therapy.” It was this class that sparked my interest in bodywork. It took me 10 years to sign up for classes but I finally did and have been on this path ever since.

Q: Have you been looking to expand for a long time? What prompted you to make the move?

A: We began looking at other communities and locations to open a second location about a year ago, and have been taking our time to be sure that we found the right place. South Portland has kept us busy and continues to. We are fortunate to have a great staff that helped us grow to this point and with their help we are able to move more confidently into another space.

Q: What drew you to Westbrook? Do you sense an untapped market here?

A: I have a brief history in Westbrook, having gone to Congin Elementary School for a few years as a child. As well, my father grew up in Westbrook and graduated from high school here. I’m familiar with Westbrook. However, what draws us here is the revitalization of Main Street. We prefer being a part of a historic downtown community versus being in a strip mall. Having neighbors and anchors in business such as The Frog & Turtle, Portland Pie and Core Physical Therapy also helped us in making the decision to move here.

Q: How big a staff will you have in town? Are you expecting a lot of walk-in business being on Main Street in the downtown area?

A: Our South Portland center employs 20 people, and while we won’t begin with that many people in Westbrook, we anticipate a thriving business and the necessity to grow as we have experienced in South Portland. We anticipate some walk-in business, however in most cases people are calling or booking online to reserve their appointments with us.

Q: How do you think your business will fit in with the rest of the downtown area?

A: We feel that Soma will fit in nicely with the surrounding businesses. In just a few steps you can go for a tan, get a massage, go to dinner and check out some local art; all the makings for a perfect day. We’re looking forward to collaborating with our neighbors, especially during the holidays and anticipate a prosperous future in Westbrook.

Julie Wright