SADC holds annual meeting

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON —More than 50 business leaders from around southern Aroostook County gathered at Houlton Regional Hospital’s Health Education Center Dec. 14 for the annual meeting of the Southern Aroostook Development Corporation.
    “Economically speaking, this has certainly been a year of extreme swings in the stock market,” said SADC Chairman Terry Wade. “Energy costs are skyrocketing and creating concerns globally. Some of these economic uncertainties have translated down into projects that SADC has and continues to work on. Many projects remain very viable, but company officers are taking a very conservative approach to increasing debt for the foreseeable future.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
ANNUAL MEETING — Terry Wade, left, president of the Southern Aroostook Development Corporation, addresses the audience during the Dec. 14 annual meeting held at Houlton Regional Hospital’s Health Education Center. To the right is Jon McLaughlin, executive director for SADC. More than 50 board members attended the annual meeting, which also featured a presentation by Dutch Dresser, managing director for Maine Energy Systems LLC, who spoke on the topic of biomass heating systems and how the state could benefit from switching to wood pellet residential boilers.
    Wade recapped some of the projects that have reached fruition with the help of SADC. Those projects included a six-unit apartment building and state of the art health center for the Houlton Band of Maliseets; the multi-million dollar renovation and expansion of the Katahdin Valley Health Center on Bangor Street in Houlton; Tractor Supply Company opening on the North Road in Houlton; and installation of new equipment at Smith & Wesson to streamline production and orders.
    Elections of officers for 2012 were held prior to the annual meeting with the following individuals selected: Wade, president; Wade Hanson, vice president; Marguerite Lawler, secretary; Chris Anderson, registered agent; and David Gates, treasurer.
    Nominated for additional three-year terms to the board of directors were: John Fitzpatrick, Max Lynds and Jerry York.
    The meeting also featured a presentation from Dutch Dresser, managing director for Maine Energy Systems LLC, who spoke on the topic of biomass heating systems and how the state could benefit from switching to wood pellet residential boilers.
    SADC was formed in 1998 with a vision of making southern Aroostook County a more vibrant place to live, work and play. In order to accomplish this goal, business attraction and retention were targeted as the No. 1 priority.
    “This is a daunting task to say the least,” said Jon McLaughlin, executive director for SADC. “With limited funding, the organization’s directors realized that specific industries and businesses needed to be targeted that would have the best possibilities for the region.”
    According to McLaughlin, this strategy has led to: the creation of more than 250 new jobs over the past 13 years, with a potential for 170 additional jobs; retention of another 300 jobs; and attracted in excess of $68 million in new development.