At that meeting held Thursday night, residents voted unanimously to apply for a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant to help brothers Doug and Jody Fletcher of Maine Wood Turnings Inc. of New Vineyard purchase Pride Manufacturing Co.'s local plant and its wood turnings business.

"We're very pleased, we felt like the community has embraced us," Doug Fletcher said Monday.

A letter of intent to purchase Pride's Guilford plant has been signed by the Fletchers, but the sale is contingent upon Guilford being awarded the grant, Doug Fletcher said. He declined to disclose the purchase price.

Guilford Town Manager Tom Goulette, said he was "real optimistic" that the town would be successful in the grant process. Town officials expect to receive word from state officials in about 30 days.

The sale is expected to preserve many of the 60 jobs that would otherwise be lost when Pride closes its plant by Sept. 15.

Pride officials announced earlier this summer that the local wood turnings plant would either be sold or closed by Sept. 15 to allow the company to focus more on its core products like golf tees.

Pride president Bob Burr has actively been searching for a new owner to avoid closing the plant and was the person who first called the Fletchers.

Since there are no state or federal funds available to help the Fletchers other than the CDBG, Doug Fletcher said the company has tentative approval from a commercial bank for the remainder of the funds.

If the purchase is made, the Fletchers plan to continue their New Vineyard operation and expand in Guilford.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Tuesday, August 16, 2005 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."