HOULTON, Maine — A local economic development group is seeking a significant grant to bring a food processing and testing facility to the area.
Robert Clark, executive director of the Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou, said that officials are seeking a $1.6 million grant to construct a 12,000 square-foot facility for Laboratory Feeds of Maine. The building would be used as a processing and testing facility for mouse food diet. It will be constructed on five acres of land in the Houlton Industrial Park, near the town’s airport.
Clark said that Southern Aroostook Development Corp., a group that works to bring new businesses to the region, will submit an application for the grant to the federal Economic Development Administration. The SADC would lease the building to Laboratory Feeds of Maine if funding is received to build the facility.
The money will finance extensive paving, painting, equipment installation, and external silos for the building. Clark said that the facility will bring an estimated 10 full time jobs and seven more indirect jobs to the community.
The local organization already has submitted the pre-proposal to EDA, and Clark said that officials there seemed to like the project.
The town also is hoping to secure $250,000 from the Northern Border Regional Commission and $275,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding. Laboratory Feeds of Maine also will apply for a $2.7 million loan from Coastal Enterprises Inc. and combine it with a $1.3 million cash injection from investors, according to Clark.
He said he did not think there would be any environmental issues with the building location.
“This will have an annual economic output of $2 million,” he said. “There is the potential for 106 jobs during the construction phase. It is a great project for this area.”
“This project will bring high quality jobs to this area,” he said. “With the job creation, I believe there will be a trickle down effect into the area.”
Councilors were excited about the project, with Councilor Rosa McNally saying that she was “very impressed” with the partnership effort.
The town expects to submit the grant by mid-June and Clark said that they should receive a decision in August.
