Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 JA N UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 2 2 S O U T H E R N M A I N E Construction of a 50-megawatt, 176,000-panel solar power installation in and around Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport, capable of powering 15,000 homes, the largest solar project in Maine and the largest airport solar project in North America. Construction of 15 miles of natural gas main to serve 1,000 homes and businesses. $100 million construction of an integrated high school and technical center, the largest state-funded school; plus modernization of elementary school classrooms. A planning partnership initiative with the Maine Department of Transportation to revitalize the downtown. Industrial parks e activity has helped to nearly fill the city's three industrial parks south of the downtown: Sanford Industrial Estates, Sanford Industrial Park and Airport Business Park. e city is looking at building a technology park, says Nimon. e park, still a concept, would target technology sectors as defined by the state of Maine, including mature industries like forestry and agriculture and emerging ones such as composite materials, biotechnology and precision manufacturing. And with another 1,500 acres of undeveloped land — privately owned but zoned for industrial use — there's potential for further development near the existing industrial parks. For Brad Abbott, Sanford made sense as an investment. e building at 1 Eagle Drive had been on his radar for several years as a good fit for 43 North's model — good-quality, steel buildings dating back to the late 1980s that needed repairs and updates but had good bones and decent-size space. Greg Hastings, Tom Dunham and TC Haffenreffer, all of the Dunham Group, worked on various aspects of the plan. Abbott worked out a deal with the seller, MaineHealth, to fix up the property and get it ready to lease while MaineHealth retained owner- ship. Once the building reached 70% to 80% occupancy, 43 North would pay MaineHealth its full asking price. Once the property was ready to lease, three to four showings per week quickly ensued, with several compa- nies looking to take all or almost all of the space. One was Biddeford-based Volk Packaging, searching for a large ware- house space to establish a contract pack- aging division — Volk Paxit. Volk took 90% of 1 Eagle Drive, after searching for affordable space closer to Biddeford "Unfortunately, we found that a lot of the warehouse space had become so expensive in most of York and Cumberland counties that it didn't make financial sense for us," says Volk Paxit's president, Amy Volk. Sanford is about a 25-minute drive from Volk's Biddeford plant, which means an increase in transportation expenses. But, she notes, it's closer to Volk's southern Maine and New England clients and it's opened a new workforce base among Sanford resi- dents who would not have commuted to Biddeford. "In fact," she says, "quite a few of our employees refer their friends to us for work." New thinking "I think towns like Sanford and Gorham — some of these that are the next road back off the coast or the highway — get kind of a bad rap," says Abbott. "It's an antiquated perspective." Nimon keeps a list of products made in Sanford and a quote on his office wall that says "A new world is only a new mind." "I send this list to the companies I meet with to reinforce for them, 'You make all these world-class products here,'" he says. "When I got here, I describe it as an Eeyore complex — 'Oh dear, it might rain.' I said, 'I'm going to buy sunglasses for every- one.' Much of it is about reshaping people's thinking." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz Purchase a group subscription for your team or entire organization. Get access to Mainebiz for your entire team EMAIL CIRCULATION@MAINEBIZ.BIZ FOR MORE INFORMATION P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Amy Volk, president of Volk Paxit, cites affordability and proximity to southern Maine and New England as benefits of expanding into Sanford from Biddeford. F O C U S I think towns like Sanford and Gorham — some of these that are the next road back off the coast or the highway — get kind of a bad rap. It's an antiquated perspective. — Brad Abbott 43 North

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