Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 2 1 6 Nursing homes get relief e U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released $25.5 billion from the provider relief fund to assist health care providers facing financial problems related to the pandemic. e funds include $8.5 billion to set aside for rural providers and $17 bil- lion for providers who can document revenue losses and expenses related to the pandemic. ree Maine nursing homes have announced plans to close: the Country Manor in Coopers Mills, the Island Nursing Home and Care Center on Deer Isle and the Somerset Rehabilitation and Living Center in Bingham. Earlier this month, the Mills administration said it would release $146 million in state and federal funds to hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities, and adult care homes to aid workforce recruitment and retention. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E The Maine delegation announced that seafood processors and agriculture stakeholders in the state will soon be eligible for $700 million in COVID-19 relief through two new U.S. Department B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E of Agriculture programs. Requests for Applications will be published soon for the Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program and the Sea- food Pandemic Response Safety Block Grant program to support agricultural stakeholders who haven't yet received substantial federal financial assistance in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that 29 fire depart- ments in Maine received a total of $6.2 million to upgrade equipment and sup- port personnel through Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grants and the Fiscal Year 2020 Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response Grants. Recipi- ents included: Kennebunk Fire Depart- ment, $2.7 million; Albion, Belgrade, China Village, Clinton, Fairfield-Benton, Madison, Oakland, South China, Win- slow and Sidney Fire Departments re- ceived a total of $627,385; Buxton Fire Department, $428,571; Easton Fire Department, $341,196; Waterville Fire Department, $338,181; North Lakes Fire Department, $323,809; Falmouth Fire Department, $315,622; Biddeford Fire Department, $285,304; Nobleboro Fire Department, $176,190; Van Buren Fire Department, $151,142; Milford Fire Department and Veazie Fire De- partment, $95,238 each; Gorham Fire Department, $93,333; Frenchville Fire Department, $51,716; Dedham Fire Department, $47,571; Yarmouth Fire Department, $47,143; Portland Fire Department, $40,909; Dixmont Fire Department, $39,893; Georgetown Fire Department, $36,000; and Newfield Fire Department, $29,710. Former Mercy site OK'd for redevelopment e redevelopment of Northern Light Mercy Hospital's old State Street build- ing in Portland has passed its last major hurdle, with approval from the city and a construction manager hired for the proj- ect. After receiving a green light Aug. 24 from the Portland Planning Board, development partnership NewHeight Redfern expects to begin renovation of the hospital building in the first quarter of 2022. NewHeight Redfern hired Zachau Construction of Freeport as construction manager of the redevelop- ment of the 1940s-era hospital building. Zachau will oversee construction and With more people hitting the road, RV dealer responds with Saco location B y W i l l i a m H a l l S A C O — As more Mainers ply the roads in recreational vehicles, a Vermont RV dealership group is opening a new location here to keep pace. Pete's RV Center, which operates dealerships in six states, said it will begin construction in January of its first Maine location. The dealership will be sited on a 60-acre parcel of land in Saco, and will open in early 2023 with a showroom, parts and accessories store, and multiple-bay service center, according to a news release. The dealership, near U.S. Route 1 and state Route 98, will offer a wide variety of travel trailer, fifth wheel and motorhome brands, including a full lineup of RVs from manufacturer Jayco Inc. Pete's RV co-owner Chad Shepard said in the release, "Maine is called 'Vacationland' for a reason. We're thrilled to get the opportunity to become a community fixture in the Saco and greater Portland area, plus be surrounded by amaz- ing campgrounds, beaches and national parks." Along with a flagship dealership in South Burlington, Vt., Pete's RV Center has locations in South Windsor, Conn.; Schererville, Ind.; Plainville, Mass.; Mountville, Pa.; and North Charleston, S.C. The expansion into Maine will be the most recent entry for an RV chain. Earlier this year, Lee's Family Trailer, an RV seller in Windham, was acquired by Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH), which had sales last year of $4.8 billion. Lee's, which was founded in 1984 and had $40 million in sales last year, is Camping World's first branch in Maine. The company has said it plans at least one other. Both Camping World and Lee's appeared to be enjoying the ride as the pandemic and even earlier market shifts have led Americans to the open road. Since 2017, sales volume at Lee's had multiplied sixfold and the staff had tripled, previous owner Dan Craffey told Mainebiz in February. Camping World, which reported revenue of $5.4 billion last year and operated more than 170 dealerships nation- ally, acquired 12 dealerships — including Lee's — during the first six months of 2021 for a total of $99 million, according to the company's SEC filings. Peter's RV also has been acquisition-hungry, buying three of its current locations since 2018, including the South Carolina dealership in July. New numbers suggest the camper business will keep cruising at high speed. RV sales are forecast to rise by 34% this year, to 577,200 units, according to the RV Industry Association. "The remarkable production from the RV manufacturers and suppliers is nothing like we have ever seen before, and our new forecast shows the record-breaking streak will continue," said RV Industry Association President and CEO Craig Kirby. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y P E T E ' S R V B R I E F In a video, Pete's RV co-owner Chad Shepard makes a pitch for his company's recreational vehicles. S O U T H E R N

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