Air projects hit financial turbulence at Loring

By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
    LIMESTONE — With the welcoming of new board members (Thomas Clowes of F.A. Peabody and Richard Ezzy, CFO of County Physical Therapy) and prospective tenants during the last meeting of the Loring Development Authority (LDA) on March 26, delays on existing and potential projects put a damper on an otherwise sunny agenda.
    At the last meeting of the LDA in January, board members discussed the expressed interest of defense contractor Integrated Systems Solutions, Inc. (ISSI) of developing an aircraft research and development project at Loring for a very large hybrid aircraft that could be used as a heavy lift logistics airlifter during wartime. The U.S. House of Representatives, according LDA President and CEO Carl Flora, recently voted to ban all earmark requests submitted by private sector companies.
    “ISSI is looking for a means to keep the project request in place, which means they need a public-sector or non-profit partner, such as the LDA, to initiate the request,” Flora stated in his president’s report adding that other aviation research and development projects currently in progress at Loring may also be need of similar assistance.
    Also in aviation news, Flora announced that Dr. Loginn Kaptain of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) has expressed interest in addressing the LDA Board at their next meeting for an update on the Skybus Project currently being developed at Loring; the airship can often be seen during test-runs in the area. SAIC previously worked on the Skybus project and others at Loring with Telford Aviation, though as of mid-march, Telford was seeking alternative ownership for their aircraft maintenance business in Bangor.
    Switching from air to seafood, it appears that developers of the American Salmon Company (ASC), who have been talking about developing an inland fishery at Loring for about a year, have been exploring options for a seaside location to better suit their water supply needs. There have also been some delays regarding obtaining regulatory approvals from the Food and Drug Administration. Flora stated in his president’s report that ASC remains interested in Loring as an initial inland site.
    Onto the land, SunSpuds Global, a developmental stage company with a new way of turning a hybrid tuber crop into ethanol, has identified the Commerce Centre as a potential site to carry out a pilot phase project to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of their unique process. In order for SunSpuds Global and the LDA to establish a commercial processing operation, the company is seeking a Maine Technology Institute grant to und the pilot phase of the project.
    Flora also mentioned that Northern Maine Paving Inc. (NMP), a Maine firm owned by Northern Construction of Grand Falls, N.B., has contacted the LDA and inquired about the potential to develop a quarry and a paving plant at Loring.
    “We have identified a potential site, and have discussed some logistics including routes of truck travel to and from the site. Much remains to be done in order for this to become a reality, including a permitting process with the Maine DEP and assurance that quarry operations would not unreasonably interfere with other existing land uses and ongoing activities at Loring Commerce Centre. While exploring the feasibility of such a project, NMP has been given the option of leasing a single-room office in the main administrative building of the LDA.
    Stantec Consulting Services, Inc also sought office space at the Centre.     Stantec is a well-known engineering service firm with roughly 10,000 employees in 130 offices throughout North America and is a publicly traded company under the ticker symbol STN on the NYSE.
    The LDA Board of Trustees has begun the process of applying for a Small Business Administration facility improvement grant, which would bring in $1 million for facilities upgrades that support small business.