December 2003
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You are Cordially Invited... This year's Annual Meeting has special meaning for the PCEDC. Not only will we be hearing from the State's top expert on the "Creative Economy", we are also taking a moment to celebrate our Fifth Year as Piscataquis County's premier vehicle for economic development. So join us on Monday, December 1st at the Penquis Higher Education Center, Dover-Foxcroft Topic Guest Speaker Reservations Preferred |
New Partnership Announced The PCEDC Marketing Committee is pleased to announce a new working partnership with the Bangor Region Development Alliance. The Alliance is an effort by Bangor area municipalities and businesses to coordinate their business attraction efforts. As a member of the Alliance, the PCEDC will be attending face-to-face meetings with business executives in the Maritimes, Quebec, and Pacific Northwest. Joining the Alliance allows the PCEDC to be part of a larger business attraction effort. Our abilities to meet with prospective businesses is enhanced by the Alliance's sizable budget and networking operation. |
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New Commissioner Named...and a PCEDC Resignation Due to the sad passing of County Commissioner Ruel Cross, Governor John Baldacci has appointed Tom Lizotte as County Commissioner for District 2 (Dover-Foxcroft, Sangerville...) Tom has been a member of the PCEDC's Executive Committee since the PCEDC's founding. Because of potential conflicts-of-interest, Tom has tendered his resignation from the Executive Committee. As an ally of economic development in the County, Tom's position of County Commissioner will no doubt add to the Commission's already supportive compliment of Commissioners. "I look back on my involvement with PCEDC...with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.. This group includes some of the finest individuals I have ever been associated with, and their spirit of cooperative leadership remains a model for our entire State." |
Older Partnership Celebrated The Maine Market Development Center seeks to assist Maine businesses acquire government contracts. For over a year, the PCEDC has made referrals to the MDC a significant part of our effort to assist local businesses. If you produce a product or service, your business may be eligible for government contracting. For more information, contact the MDC directly at 1-800-339-6389. |
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Another Resignation Dover-Foxcroft Town Manager Owen Pratt has recently announced his intention of resigning as Town Manager. For over 26 years, local residents were assured of thorough and competent town management under his watch. Likewise, for almost five years, the PCEDC was assured of a loyal economic development booster who cared for Piscataquis County as much as he did for Dover-Foxcroft. We'll miss Owen as he leaves Town government but can think of many economic development projects that will keep him busy for many years to come! |
County Bonding Update Due to the condensed time in which proposals needed to be added to a county-wide economic development bond referendum, municipal and county leaders delayed until November, 2004 putting projects on a ballot. The County Commissioners will be considering proposals to add in November this Spring. |
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Wood Composite Incubator Fully Funded After three years of hard work, tenacious grant writing, and a solid public relations effort, the Greenville Wood Composites Incubator is fully funded. This $1 million project is the result of a core group of dedicated organizations that joined together to jump start a wood composites business cluster in Piscataquis County. A special thanks to the Town of Greenville, Composite Technology Centers, Rural Development, the State of Maine, the University of Maine, Senator Susan Collins, and the members of Maine's Congressional Delegation.  |
Pleasant River Lumber The PCEDC recently convened a group of business incentive providers in an effort to promote a potential multi-million dollar expansion of the Pleasant River Lumber Company in Dover-Foxcroft. Representatives from Pleasant River Lumber's parent company, Gerard Crete et Fils, were impressed by the information presented by local, county, and State officials. We'd like to thank the partners that helped us place a "Welcome" mat at the feet of Crete's corporate leadership: Town of Dover-Foxcroft |
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EMDC Names New President The Eastern Maine Development Corporation Board of Directors recently announced their choice for President: Jonathan Daniels of Bangor. As a former director of the Port of Eastport and stint with the Maine International Trade Center, Jonathan has a well rounded background that will suit him well at EMDC. |
Know of a business owner or manager needing assistance? Have them call the PCEDC office for a no-cost referral. There are plenty of organizations that can help. |
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A Piscataquis Pine Tree Zone? You bet! Thanks to the strong willingness of our municipal officials to work together (a common trait among these folks), Piscataquis County will be able to meet the challenge of crafting a competitive Pine Tree Zone application. The Pine Tree Zone initiative is an economic development tool by the Baldacci Administration to enhance the competitiveness of our State's poorer areas in attracting business investment. The PCEDC and Eastern Maine Development Corp. are working hand in hand to craft an application and to seek potential partnerships with Dexter and Newport. Come to the PCEDC's Annual Meeting (December 1st) to learn more! | |
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Downtown Revitalization in the County There's a core group of volunteers around the County that are trying to make Piscataquis County a better place to live through downtown revitalization. Downtowns are the “front lawn” of any community and a well kept and presentable downtown will not only enhances the sense of pride among residents, it will also help attract others to come and live here. Guilford's downtown revitalization group is chaired by Lynn Anderson of the Guilford B&B while Dover-Foxcroft's effort is being championed by Matt Tibbets of the soon-to-be-opened Abel Blood's Restaurant, downtown Dover-Foxcroft. | |
PCEDC Annual Meeting Guest Speaker
John Rohman is an Interior Designer and is CEO and President of WBRC Architects×Engineers in Bangor. He received a BS in civil engineering from the University of Maine at Orono in 1968 and a BS in business administration from Husson College in 1976. After two years in the military with the 1st Air Cav Division in Vietnam, he went to work as project engineer for Eaton W. Tarbell and Associates, an architectural firm in Bangor with a primary focus on commercial buildings. In 1973, he joined what is now WBRC Architects×Engineers. In 1988, John returned to school at the Boston Architectural Center for studies in interior design.
For many years, John has had a strong interests and involvement in the arts and has served as chair of the Board of Directors of the Maine Crafts Association, on the Board of Directors of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra and is presently chairman of University of Maine Museum of Art Advisory Committee and serves on the University of Maine Alumni Association Board of Directors. He is now active as the chairman of the Maine Arts Commission as appointed by Governor John Baldacci. After serving as President of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, John entered the political arena and started his first City Council term in 1997. Now in his second term of office, he served in 2001 as Mayor of the City of Bangor. Both the arts and downtown/waterfront development has been a focus during his tenure. Currently the selection of Bangor as the three-year site of the National Folk Festival has been an active item for both John and his wife Lyndy. John served as Chairman of the Festival in its first two years. Lyndy and John live in a wonderful historic home on Broadway where both the interior and the gardens keep them active in their spare time. John's children both live in the west, Erik in Colorado and Amy in Montana. | |
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New Face at PCEDC Dover-Foxcroft resident Lisa Herzog is volunteering time at the PCEDC and at the Penquis Higher Education Center. She has a strong interest in economic development and has been a big help at the PCEDC. |
For more information on the PCEDC, its programs, and mission, contact us at:
PCEDC |