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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 A U G U S T 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 In this case, distance was a challenge. Glass recalls needing a particular adhesive from its head- quarters in Somerville, Mass., a six-and-a-half hour drive from Loring. Altaeros team members on each end met halfway for the transfer. "It's the disadvantage that comes with a smaller town that's further from our primary suppliers," he says. Humvees and fi eld kitchens A native of nearby Presque Isle, Flora hired on with the Loring Development Authority in 1995 as vice president and general counsel. e 1995 opening of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Center was a big deal. "Before that, there was nothing much happening except the Air Force packing up and shipping out," Flora recalls. "When DFAS took occupancy of their building, that brought new people into the mix." DFAS, a back offi ce function for the U.S. Department of Defense and today Loring's larg- est tenant, hired 00 employees. Job Corps arrived in 1997, occupying nine buildings for 200 to 400 students. Maine Military Authority, which started out repairing and overhauling National Guard equipment, opened around the same time, peaking around 2008 with over 500 people occupying nine buildings. It was a busy scene, says Flora. " ere were Humvees and 5-ton trucks and mobile fi eld kitchens and boats and communica- tions shelters," he describes. "In their heyday, they were going strong." Maine Military Authority's fortunes waned as the National Guard pared contracts. In 2014, it took on a contract worth $18.5 million to over- haul Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority buses. With that project close to completion, the Loring Development Authority brought in investor Alosa to establish Loring Industries and bring in new work. "One thing we saw with the Maine Military Authority was the need to have those skills housed in a private sector company," says Flora. 'Hey, we're here to stay' Loring Industries General Manager Tim McCabe supervises 2 employees working on dump trucks, plow trucks and coach buses. He's looking to grow the business, particularly in the coach bus sector. " ere are lots of coaches in this country — tens of thousands," says McCabe, who fi nds contracts through the company's reputation and by "knocking on doors." McCabe says he hasn't had problems fi nding employees, in some cases luring them with higher pay from other companies. One worker came from Job Corps. McCabe provides on-the-job training. "As they continue to develop new lines of work, they'll continue to hire," predicts Flora. Aroostook County's aging demographics pose challenges. " e best thing we can do is cultivate the employers who will create good-quality jobs," Flora says. "Hopefully those employers fi nd business condi- tions that are steady and stable enough that they can say to existing and future employees, that, 'Hey, we're here to stay and if you sign on with us you can stay as long as you want.'" Selling the lifestyle Flora says the No. 1 job is to sell the facility. "But then the questions get broader," he continues. "'If I'm going to move or establish my business there, what's the lifestyle like, where do my kids go to school?' We do a pretty good job of selling the rural outdoor life- style. ere are people who love the idea that you can own an old farmhouse and 50 acres of land and have a snowmobile and go fi shing and hunting." Other advantages include Loring's designation as an Opportunity Zone, fi beroptic high-speed internet service, high-capacity municipal utility infrastructure, Job Corps as a feeder program, a runway and an arch hangar capable of housing large aircraft. "If you look at it in terms of aviation routes and the movement of air cargo across continents, we're not in a bad position at all," Flora says. "We're within a day's truck drive of two-thirds of the population of the United States," says Flora. "So if you have a global perspective, we're not far from the bulk of the Northeast population. But if you have a narrower perspective and you're think- ing about your product in a market that includes southern Maine and southern New England, then we're a long way. It depends on what the product is and what the market is." L S , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R Progressi essive ve ve v • Creati tive ve ve v • Forwa wa wa w rd Thinking • g • Reso esource ce ce c fu ful Progressive • Creative • Forward Thinking • Resourceful BREWERMAINE.GOV/BIZ Contact D'arcy Main-Boyington Economic Development Director dmain-boyington@brewermaine.gov | 207-989-7500 G R E AT E R B A N G O R / N O R T H E R N M A I N E F O C U S Loring Industries General Manager Tim McCabe oversees a team of 23 that maintains dump trucks, plow trucks and coach buses. 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