Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 1 0 , 2 0 2 0 20 S O U T H E R N M A I N E T he area in and around Saco Industrial Park is becoming a seafood cluster, as more seafood processors and distributors look to relo- cate or grow their businesses there. Transportation access, available and affordable real estate and the city's busi- ness-friendly climate are the chief attrac- tions, businesses there told Mainebiz. Incentives like community development grants and an Opportunity Zone can sweeten the pot for investors. Most immediately, Maine Lobster Now plans to renovate an available build- ing in the industrial park, with the goal to relocate from Portland this summer. "People are moving to Saco," says Julian Klenda, founder and owner of the rapidly expanding delivery service. "It's affordable for residents, so you have workforce readily available. And Saco is also close enough to Portland where you're still able to grab that workforce. It's right off the interstate, so your trucking is good to go. Saco is turning into a pretty affordable alternative for a lot of businesses." e city is welcoming them with open arms. "It doesn't come as a surprise that businesses want to locate in the Route 1 corridor, because of available infra- structure, because it's in an Opportunity Zone, because of its accessibility to the interstate, and because of the high qual- ity of life in Saco," says the city's com- munications director, Emily Roy. In addition, Roy says, land and buildings are generally more afford- able than Portland. And Saco provides easy access to Portland to the north and Portsmouth, N.H., and Boston to the south. For international markets, Saco is an hour and 40 minutes from Logan International Airport. "We have the Saco Transportation Center, so we have train access for both freight rail and passenger rail," Roy says. "We have different housing options," including multi-family and single-fam- ily housing, conversion of Saco Island Mill Building 4 into condominiums, and apartment rental opportunities. Can-do When Shawn McEwen and Morey Highbarger were looking to move their growing startup, Sea Salt Lobster Co., from McEwen's Kennebunk home, they identified Saco as a likely prospect because of an available warehouse in the industrial park. For a seafood proces- sor, floor drains are a key selling point. "ere wasn't a lot of that space around," says Highbarger. Starting as a seafood brokerage in 2009, Sea Salt grew into wholesale and retail in 2010, when it leased the building and built a tank system to buy and sell large quantities of live lobsters. In 2014, Sea Salt Lobster invested in land on Route 1 and built a new plant, with a restaurant and retail fish market out front, to accommodate continued growth. In 2019, domestic and international shipments of live and frozen lobster and other products earned $27 million in gross revenues, 10% to 15% above 2018, and prompting plans for further expansion. e owners became familiar with the city's business-friendly climate when they were transitioning from the lease to new construction. Highbarger says city officials have a "can-do, let's make this work" attitude. "I think a lot of other municipali- ties tend to find reasons why you can't do something," he says. "Saco looked at us and felt they wanted us in the community." McEwen says the welcome extended well beyond economic devel- opment outreach. "e mayor would come here with planning or code enforcement and talk P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY R E N D E R I N G / G O O G L E M A P S Saco creating a seafood cluster Location and affordable space draw a growing number of seafood businesses B y l a u R i e s C h R e i B e R F O C U S Julian Klenda, founder and owner of Maine Lobster Now, is planning a move from Portland to Saco as an affordable way to accommodate the rapidly expanding delivery service. Since 2010, Saco has attracted Since 2010, Saco has attracted five seafood companies in and five seafood companies in and around the city's industrial park, around the city's industrial park, off Route 1. off Route 1.

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