Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. I JA N UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 6 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 Maine papermakers are top benefi ciaries of BETR program Maine's papermakers in 2015 received many of the biggest payments from a program that gives tax breaks for equipment and facilities, the Bangor Daily News reported. e state has allowed businesses to recover prop- erty taxes paid on certain equipment and facilities put in service roughly between 1995 and 2007. About 1,400 companies tapped that reimburse- ment program in the last year. Among the top ones were papermakers such as Verso, Lincoln Paper and Tissue and Sappi. e state makes the payments through the Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement program, or BETR. Payments from BETR totaled about $33.3 million, or around 1% of the state's annual bud- get, during the state's fi scal year ended June 2015. Caribou, Presque Isle chambers merge e Caribou Chamber of Commerce closed Dec. 31 and merged with the Central Aroostook Chamber in Presque Isle. e area served by the Caribou chamber was picked up by the Central Aroostook chamber, the Bangor Daily News reported. "We have been talking about it for a few years, but nothing has been offi cial until now," said eresa Fowler, execu- tive director of the Central Aroostook Chamber. "I think it is a good oppor- tunity to pool resources and serve a larger area." Fowler estimated that about 40 of the businesses served by the Caribou chamber were enrolled in the Presque Isle chamber. Caribou chamber staff will move to the Presque Isle chamber. e Caribou building will be put up for sale. 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 Josh McLaughlin, president of Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber is working with businesses on ways to bring in more shoppers. Suggestions include staying open later, using social media for promotion and capitalizing on events already sponsored by the chamber, such as Potato Feast Days and Midnight Madness, which is held around Independence Day. agcmaine.org | 188 Whitten Road | Augusta, ME 04332 | 622-4741 | info@agcmaine.org AGC Maine provides quality training AGC Maine provides quality training and an aggressive advocacy program to help our members develop new markets and develop new markets and grow their business. grow their business. Join AGC Maine today to discover the competitive discover the competitive advantage our membership provides. membership provides. WORKING FOR OUR MEMBERS What Makes a Good Contractor? Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. 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Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Look for the logo Legislative Advocacy Regulatory Research & Solutions Safety & Training Services Logging industry confronts pulpwood crisis The forest products industry has been vital to the Maine economy for two centu- ries, but the Lincoln County News reports that a shrinking market for wood chips has taken a toll on the logging industry, pulp mills, sawmills and harvesters. "What I see is a real crisis on our step and it's going to get worse if we don't do anything," Norman Hunt, proprietor of N.C. Hunt Inc., told the paper. N.C. Hunt operates a sawmill in Jefferson and retail stores in Jefferson and Damariscotta. Pulp and paper mills have shut down at a rapid pace, directly leading to job losses at the mills themselves, but also impacting other jobs in the forest products sector, notably among loggers, the Lincoln County News reported. Hunt said larger companies are better able to spend the money necessary to compete in an ever-shrinking market for pulp and paper products, but the outlook is not overly positive. Wood chips, solid material produced in the process of cutting or chipping larger pieces of wood, serve as raw material for producing wood pulp and fi borous material used in the production of paper. "The crisis is, if mills can't get rid of chips, they are shutting down. It's not just 500 jobs; it's 50,000 jobs," Hunt said. Wood chips are still a marketable commodity in the creation of biomass solid fuel and organic mulch for use in landscaping and gardening. These new markets, however, are not yet as lucrative as the long-standing pulp mill industry. Historically, the sale of wood chips, sawdust and bark has helped sawmills meet overhead costs and retain workforces. Patrick Strauch, executive director of the Maine Forest Products Council, said the current market for low-grade wood is an issue facing Maine's sawmills. Sawmills are concerned about the market for low-grade wood and are often reluctant to harvest. The market for high-quality wood, found in a tree's base, is much stronger. "How do we encourage markets to be strong for all parts of the tree?" Strauch said. — L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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