PCEDC’s year in review: Business outlook positive

By Dr. Kenneth Woodbury

    Through our new strategic plan for Piscataquis County’s economic development, several new and expanding businesses brought new development and jobs to the county in 2014.
    Wildwoods Resort in Brownville received a CDBG-Micro-Enterprise grant of $40,000 to expand and purchase new equipment for its kitchen, including a fire suppression system (ANSUL) over the recently expanded hood, walk-in refrigerators and freezers, new dishwasher, and under-counter refrigerator and freezer, flooring repairs, washable wall covering and a point-of-sales (POS) system.

    In Dover-Foxcroft’s historic downtown, the box office of the Center Theatre has been renovated to become the Center Coffee House, thanks to a CDBG-EDP grant of $30,000 which resulted in an additional $40,000 in private investment.
    BS Farms, LLC in Dover-Foxcroft raises Angus cattle naturally without steroids, hormones, or antibiotics and grazed on pasture without the use of chemical fertilizers, grains or animal by-products. They received a $90,000 CDBG-EDP grant creating three new jobs for low or moderate income qualified individuals and the grant generated more than $300,000 in private investment by the owner. When the Angus beef is ready for market, it is processed locally by Herring Brothers Meats in Guilford.
    Northwoods Gourmet Girl in Greenville has expanded its line of specialized food products to 23 all-natural, pantry staples produced at the new company headquarters with a 1,860 square foot commercial kitchen, production area and office space. Northwoods has its own retail shop in Belfast and a customer base of over 100 clients including Crate & Barrel. A CDBG-Micro-Enterprise grant of $50,000 allowed Northwoods to add a 40-gallon steam kettle to allow multiple products to be produced simultaneously, a commercial van for transporting products to trade shows, new commercial dishwasher and an inventory management software program.
    GLOBEco, LLC has designed a durable, affordable, sustainable and compostable natural wood fiber cloth for domestic, hospitality and industrial surface cleaning. GEM’s DuraFresh cloth rinses 99.9 percent bacteria-free in tap water. A CDBG-EDP grant for $240,000 will mean more than $300,000 in additional private capital investment. The project in Dover-Foxcroft will initially create eight new full time jobs with a majority of the new jobs going to low and moderate income qualified individuals.
    Another business initiative has been a creation of the PCEDC Business Revolving Loan Fund funded by $90,000 USDA grant. Loans are available for $5,000 to $15,000 and are intended to provide “gap” financing complementing loans from traditional lending institutions. The loans once repaid will be made available for new borrowers. The PCEDC Review Committee makes decisions about the loan applications after reviewing the recommendation of the underwriter, the Northern Maine Development Corporation, who also services the loans. Application forms and information are available on the PCEDC website.
    PCEDC’s $800,000 Brownfield’s Revolving Loan Fund continued to make grants and loans for business expansion by cleaning up asbestos, lead paint and other hazardous materials from older commercial sites in the county.
    The Dover Cover Farmer’s Market continued its expansion and received a grant from the Maine Community Foundation for marketing.
    The expansion of the Shaw Library has been an important project in Greenville. The separation between the Shaw and the Davis Memorial Annex requires patrons and staff to shuttle back and forth between the buildings. The solution has been to raise $197,500 to build an infill eight feet wide connecting the buildings and making the combined library ADA compliant. Six private foundations donated $71,000, the USDA provided a grant for $50,000 along with a 40 year low-interest loan for $46,500 to the Shaw Library Association and the Shaw Library Trustees and the Shaw Library Association each contributed $15,000.
    Snowmobile and ATV trails in the Moosehead Lake region continue to be a priority. Connecting Greenville to Kokadjo, the snowmobile trail around Moosehead Lake as well as ATV trails to Kokadjo and Brownville provide significant economic benefits to the region. PCEDC successfully submitted a Recreational Trail Program Grant of $35,000 for Beaver Cove to connect the Prong Pond Trailhead with the Tressle-Lagoon Road with a multiuse snowmobile/ATV trail. Completion of this new trail is scheduled for May 15.
    Meanwhile, the ATV trail north of Greenville is being rerouted to the south side of Rum Mountain to lessen the noise impact on the residents of Upper and Lower Wilson Ponds. The state is providing up to $10,000 for this project.
    Milo completed its $340,000 Safe Streets Project last fall with new paving, sidewalks and heritage–style street lighting in the downtown business district.
    Dover-Foxcroft continues to make progress with its $11 million Riverfront Redevelopment Project at the Mayo Mill Complex in the historic downtown District. Considerable time has been spent this past year on administering the various grants that make up the complex financial package of loans, state and federal tax credits and federal energy tax credits.
    Through the generosity of the Quimby Family Foundation ($25,620), the Piscataquis Tourism Development Authority and AMC have been building three new waterfall access trails, three new trailheads for sightseers to park while visiting the waterfalls and signage, a picnic table and kiosk to educate the visitor about our natural heritage.
    Visit www.pcedc.org for more information and “like” us on Facebook.
    Dr. Kenneth Woodbury of Greenville is the former community development director of PCEDC. He is now town manager of Sangerville.