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V O L . X X V I I I N O. I JA N UA R Y 1 0 , 2 0 2 2 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E has received a $25 million loan to complete a wind energy project in Clifton, according to an announce- ment by the lender, Needham Bank. Clifton is in Penobscot County, east of Bangor. e development will con- sist of five wind turbines on Pisgah Mountain, producing 20 megawatts of clean energy, according to the Dec. 21 press release. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Fickle Fox LLC, a cafe, thrift and gift shop, opened at 12 Jordan St. in Presque Isle. Big Rock Mountain in Mars Hill initi- ated a capital campaign to replace its double chairlift to the top with a new quad chairlift. The new lift will cost an estimated $2.9 million. The campaign got a major boost when Presque Isle-based MMG Insurance Co. committed a $250,000 donation toward the ski lift. Why choose us for your banking needs? Because with us, local really does mean local. We understand that our customers want personalized service with modern banking conveniences – and you don't always get both from a big-box bank. When you're always on the go, you need a bank that's always there for you. Our suite of personal and business banking products are designed to make banking easier, no matter what corner of the world you're in. We're Maine Community Bank – on your corner and in your corner. Contact us today! 1-833-762-0313 mainecb.com Hello, Maine! Moving companies report surge in move-ins B y P e t e r V a n A l l e n M ore evidence is coming in that Maine has become a destination for people fleeing more urban areas dur- ing the pandemic. In reports released in early January by two national mov- ing companies, Maine ranked No. 8 as a move-in destina- tion by the U-Haul Growth Index, while United Van Lines had Maine at No. 14. The U-Haul Growth Index, with Maine as the No. 8 des- tination for 2021, showed the Pine Tree State jumping up from No. 29. The ranking is based on one-way U-Haul truck transactions in 2021, the company said. U-Haul said the top destinations were Texas, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Arizona. By contrast, California and Illinois saw the largest out-migration, ranking No. 50 and 49, respectively. Maine has already seen other data indicating its popu- larity as a COVID-era destination. The median home price jumped to $300,000 in November, up from $270,000 a year earlier. A more pressing concern even has been the lack of housing inventory. There were 33% fewer homes for sale in November than in the period a year ago, and 59% fewer than in November 2019, according to a recent report from the Maine Association of Realtors. As of May 2021, according to data compiled by Portland bro- ker Tom Landry, homebuyers were coming from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Florida and California. Among New England states in the U-Haul ranking, Vermont was closest to Maine, ranked No. 12. Maine and Vermont would figure into another ranking as well. In the United Van Lines rankings, Maine is No. 14, while Vermont was No. 1. The Top 5 states in the United Van Lines ranking were Vermont, South Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia and Florida. New Jersey and Illinois were at the bottom. Massachusetts ranked No. 47 in the U-Haul rankings and No. 43 in the United Van Lines data. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F U - H A U L B I Z M O N E Y Maine was highly ranked as a move-in destination by two national moving companies.

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