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V O L . X X I X N O. V M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 3 20 E M E R G I N G I N D U S T R I E S F O C U S e center is home to the world's largest polymer 3D printer, which can extrude pellets made from wood residuals combined with bio-resin, as well as other materials. e center previously printed a 25-foot boat and a 12-foot-long shelter. e pilot project could lead to a first-in-the- nation bio-based 3D-printed affordable neighbor- hood in Greater Bangor, in collaboration with the nonprofit Penquis and MaineHousing. In northern Maine, a Houlton siding company owned by Nashville, Tenn.-based Louisiana-Pacific Corp. (NYSE: LPX), last fall completed a $150 mil- lion conversion to expand production of SmartSide — an advanced engineered wood siding — to 220 million square feet. Another $400 million investment is planned to create a second SmartSide line, doubling the site's capacity, adding scores of jobs and increasing con- sumption of locally sourced trembling aspen. Sappi North America said it would invest $418 million in a paper machine rebuild at its Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, increasing capacity to produce solid bleached sulfate board products, a sustain- able alternative to plastic packaging within health, beauty and food services industries, among others. Upgrades will be completed by early 2025. Sappi, a South African company with a U.S. head- quarters in Boston and a sales office in Westbrook, has said demand for packaging and specialty papers in North America is particularly robust. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E On Time Every Time Stress Free 207-294-2075 or www.browndogcarriers.com Forward-looking forest products I n December, the Mills administration awarded $14 million in grants to 19 Maine forestry companies in the second round of the state's $20 million Forest Recovery Initiative, administered by the Maine Technology Institute. The first round helped 219 forest products businesses impacted by the pandemic. The second round invests in the future of the sector and new uses for Maine wood fiber, including renewable packaging, biochar, biofuels, and value-added solid wood products. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A I N E The University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center unveiled a 3D printed prototype "BioHome3D" with flooring, walls and roof made of wood fibers and bio-resins.