Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 7 8 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 to fund blueberry promotion to U.S. schools e Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine received $50,000 in state funding to promote its school sales. e agricultural develop- ment grant was awarded by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to help Maine's blueberry growers grab a larger share of the school lunch business. Sales have been fl at, the commission said. Last year, the USDA purchased 500,000 pounds of frozen wild blueberries for use by U.S. public schools — a small share of the 114 million pounds of frozen fruit, frozen vegetables and frozen orange juice used by schools annually. " ese funds will allow our industry to launch a signifi cant marketing eff ort that promotes wild blueberries as an ideal school food. We expect the results to deliver a measurable increase in sales and the Don't underestimate the impact a properly designed, installed and maintained mechanical system can have on your people and processes. Enjoy longer leases, happier tenants, more productive employees and consistent products. It's worth the investment in the long run. To learn more call 207.883.1473 or email info@aaaenergy.com AAAENERGY.COM Get it done right the rst time HEATING AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERATION MAINTENANCE DESIGN/BUILD AUBURN, NH 603.626.4884 PITTSFIELD, ME 207.487.3706 SCARBOROUGH, ME 207.883.1473 'Road map' for strengthening state's forest economy sets nine priorities B y M a i n e b i z s t a f f A U G U S T A — Stakeholders in Maine's $8.5 billion forest products industry unveiled a nine-point strategy to attract capital investment and develop new oppor- tunities in that sector that will sustain good- paying jobs in Maine's rural communities. The Maine Forest Economy Growth Initiative's recommendations and report lay out a road map for identifying current and emerging global forest products in which Maine is likely to be most com- petitive. The report also analyzes the capacity of Maine's current and future wood supply to support new markets. "A dedicated and diverse group of Mainers has spent months working together to understand where Maine's forest economy has been, where it is today, and what needs to be done to strengthen and diversify our valued forest products industry," said Patrick Strauch, executive director of the Maine Forest Products Council and co-chairman of the working group. The top priority is to identify key oppor- tunities and the challenges that must be met to attract capital investment, particularly in communities affected by the closure of six pulp and paper mills and two biomass electricity-generating plants in the past three years that has led to a $1.3 billion decline in total economic impact of Maine's forest products industry since 2014. More than 5,000 jobs were lost as a result. Total employment in the sector today stands at 33,500 workers. Other priorities include: ¡ Improving Maine's transportation infrastructure to move wood to market ¡ Developing more outlets for "for- est residuals" such as through combined heat-and-power projects ¡ Increasing outreach to small woodland owners ¡ Investing in the commercializa- tion of new products, including products using biobased chemi- cals, fuels and materials made from pulp wood, which can then be used to make a whole host of everyday products. B R I E F The Maine Forest Economy Growth Initiative members Patrick Strauch: Maine Forest Products Council, co-chairman Yellow Light Breen: Maine Development Foundation, co-chairman Donna Cassese: Maine Pulp & Paper Association / SAPPI Fine Papers Tom Doak: Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine Dana Doran: Professional Logging Contractors of Maine Steve Schley: Pingree Associates Charlotte Mace: Biobased Maine Stephen Shaler: University of Maine Jake Ward: University of Maine Peggy Daigle: consultant Andy Hamilton: Eaton Peabody attorneys at law Charlie Spies: CEI Capital Management M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T

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