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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 27 N OV E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5 Home to the small commercial carrier CapeAir, which provides service to and from Boston, Knox County also provides facilities for charter/air taxi operations such as island services that include mail, UPS, FedEx, supplies, passengers and medical evacu- ation; a fl ying club, transportation museum and transient aircraft. In the summer, tourism as much as triples passenger enplanements, and the number of part-time employees quadruples. It hosts several thousand business jet operations and scores of gen- eral aviation recreational and corporate fl ights each year; passenger traffi c and other operations are pro- jected to increase by 3% to 3.6% in the next 20 years. "Most of our projects are designed to maintain what we have," says Jeff Northgraves, manager of the Knox County Regional Airport. At some point, he hopes to attract a private investment to build hangars, which don't receive FAA funds. " at would attract more aircraft to the airport," he says. Knox County Regional, like the Hancock County/ Bar Harbor Airport near Acadia National Park, sees seasonal shifts in traffi c. In high summer, CapeAir doubles its fl ights to 12 per day, accommodating mostly tourists, but also summer residents and family mem- bers returning home for visits. e general aviation facility will see "the John Travoltas," as Northgraves says, bringing in their own aircraft while visiting their island "cottages." Another important user is Penobscot Island Air, providing essential services, include mede- vac and mail, to the islands of Penobscot Bay. "A lot of businesses locate here because the airport is here," says Northgraves. "It gives them a lifeline to the rest of the world." Many people don't understand the importance of small airports, Northgraves says. "I was talking with one individual who was not happy with all the 'rich' people coming through the airport," he recalls. "He said, 'I get nothing out of the airport.' I asked him what he does. He said he was a driver for UPS. I said, 'UPS wouldn't have a distribu- tion center here if there weren't an airport.' So almost everyone benefi ts, but they don't realize it." Back at Northern Maine Regional, manager Scott Wardwell agrees. "People don't realize all the diff erent parts of their day that the airport plays a role in," Wardwell says. "Probably the northern third of the state, if they get a FedEx package, it comes through Presque Isle. If you go to a local fl orist and buy fl owers, those fl owers came in through the airport. Because of our relatively long distance from Bangor, and cer- tainly Portland, traffi c tends to be less seasonal and certainly has a substantial business component." e Defense Finance and Accounting Service Limestone, which has 600 employees in northern Maine, brings in customers and sends management to meetings in Washington, D.C. "You have companies sending sales staff out through here," Wardwell says. "When you need to bring in a vendor to work on equipment or develop a product, a lot of times those folks come through Presque Isle. McCain Foods, the hospital — we play a pretty big role in their recruitment eff orts." L S , a w r i te r ba s e d i n B a s s Ha r bo r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . Customized Supply Chain Solutions For over 25 years, NEPW Logistics has provided flexible and cost-effective warehouse, transportation and supply chain solutions to some of Maine's largest companies. • Over 900,000 square feet of warehouse space • 8 locations throughout Maine • 5 modern paper rewinders providing a full range of converting services • 24 hour customer service • Dock-to-dock service across North America • Dedicated trucking eet Call us to get started 207.333.3345 x110 george@nepw.com www.nepw.com Warehouse Locations: • Scarborough • Auburn • Portland • South Paris • Mechanic Falls • North Jay • Fairfield • Waterville NEPW LOGISTICS Filling the gaps in air travel Northern Maine Regional Airport In Presque Isle, the airport is used by private aircraft, freight carriers and the commercial carrier PenAir, which flies to Boston. It is also a critical commercial hub for Aroostook County businesses, providing facilities for UPS and FedEx, among others. With help from U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, the airport has received federal funds to upgrade aspects of the facility. Robert LaFleur Airport In Waterville, the airport received $6 million in federal and local funding for improved runways, lavatory service, de-icing equipment, aircraft tugs, mowers and a fuel truck. The airport hopes to see increased traffic as a result. Knox County Regional Airport In Owls Head, the airport hosts the commer- cial carrier CapeAir, which provides service to Logan International Airport in Boston. In the past five years, it has paid for upgrades with $7 million in Federal Aviation Administration funding, combined with 5% matches from the state and county. Improvements include terminal construction; pavement, runway and road projects; and obstruction and wildlife mitigation. Other improvements are projected through 2018.

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