Mars Hill Wind Farm construction team receives award

    AUGUSTA –  Reed & Reed, Inc., of Woolwich, received the prestigious 2007 Build Maine Award in the Industrial Division for its efforts constructing the Mars Hill Wind Farm. The project is the first large-scale wind farm in New England.      The Mars Hill Wind Farm is located  at the top of Big Rock Ski Area in Mars Hill. It consists of 28 total wind turbines, with 20 turbines located on the four-mile-long north-south ridge and eight turbines located on the lower North Road. Each tower is 262 feet high and holds a 120,000 pound nacelle, which converts wind energy to electricity. Attached to each nacelle is a three-blade turbine that is 252 feet in diameter. The project included site work, design and construction of reinforced concrete foundations, tower and turbine erection and extensive electrical work. 
     Reed & Reed President & CEO Jackson A. Parker called the wind farm construction technically demanding and credited the company’s workforce for meeting the demands of the project against a difficult timeline. 
    “The very same factor that makes Mars Hill a great site for a wind farm also impacted a construction process dependent on multiple 280 foot high crane lifts” Parker said. “That our people were able to build 28 towers in a matter of months in a very challenging mountaintop environment is a testament to their innovation, skill and persistence,” Parker said.   
     Build Maine Award winners are selected by a panel of judges that includes representatives from Maine’s construction and engineering industries. Projects are evaluated on five criteria including:
• Contribution to the community;
• Innovation in construction techniques or materials;
• Meeting the challenge of a difficult job;
• Environmental sensitivity; and
• Responsiveness to client needs, customer satisfaction and partnering.
    Chartered in 1951, Associated Constructors of Maine is a state chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America and represents the interests of 275 construction firms and related businesses throughout Maine.