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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 M AY 1 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S G L O B A L E C O N O M Y "I'm a great fan of this cold stor- age, and the eff orts that have been put into making this a success," says Emily Lane, the company's vice president for sales. "Currently we have to pay a trucking company to take the con- tainer to the cold storage facility [on Read Street], load the container, and then take it back to the yard. It would be so seamless to be able to move the container next door, fi ll the container and off it goes." Before Eimskip, the company had to ship lobsters overseas by air from Boston, at average rate of $4.40 a pound to Europe, compared to $1.50 a pound now by sea. "I'm just hoping that cooler heads prevail and that this whole initia- tive can be moved along," she says. Bristol Seafood's Handy is optimistic it will: "One of the things that's special about Portland, is that it's always done a good job balancing the fi shing com- munity and the industrial community with having a vibrant arts community, terrifi c bars and restaurants and outdoor space. I'm confi dent that historical track record will persist and help this project to move forward." Seeing the bigger picture Americold and Eimskip both have much to gain. In 2015, when it won the bid, Americold president and COO Fred Boehler, who became CEO in 2016, praised "the opportunity to add a brand new, state-of-the-art show- piece building to the area and be part of the future of the port of Portland." As the public debate plays out, the company declined to be interviewed for this article. Eimskip, which moved its U.S. headquarters from Norfolk, Va., to Portland, in 2013, is just the opposite. Its publicly traded parent, which is based in Reykjavik, posted record sales in 2016 and is growing by acquisition. Most recently it acquired 51% of CSI Group LLC, a Boston-based company that leases and trades used containers and shipping related assets. Eimskip has had success in Portland, where it is increasing annual port calls this year from 31 to 36. ough it still has operations in Norfolk, it would re-locate to the new facility if it is built. It has, in fact, already started moving employees to Portland, where 17 people "are more or less sitting on top of each other," Isfeld says. As part of a new information cam- paign to win over public sentiment, the Maine Port Authority launched a web- site (www.foodeconomymaine.com) in April with information, testimonials and graphics touting the benefi ts of a freezer warehouse to the port and to Maine's growing food and beverage industries. at includes blueberry and potato growers throughout the state who ship elsewhere in the country or internation- ally and frequently scramble for freezer space on the East Coast and Canada. "In a world where just about everything we grow somebody else grows too, you need to be fi nding ways to be competi- tive," says Walter Whitcomb, Maine's agriculture commissioner. at's espe- cially true with blueberries, which have a short, three-week growing season and often compete for freezer space with cranberries in Massachusetts. "We're hoping Portland sees itself as important in the natural resources sector," he says. "It's always trying to view itself as a hub of commerce for the state of Maine, and food is part of that." Janine Bisaillon-Cary, president of the Maine International Trade Center and the state's director of international trade, sees cold-storage as a "game- changer" for the food sector, including joint-venture investment opportunities for value-added, innovative agricultural products like new varieties of broc- coli and root vegetables. "Cold storage can play a big role not just for greater Portland," she says, "but for the whole state, particularly rural Maine." R C , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . 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 HEATING AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERATION MAINTENANCE DESIGN/BUILD AUBURN, NH 603.626.4884 PITTSFIELD, ME 207.487.3706 SCARBOROUGH, ME 207.883.1473 Proper Maintenance Extends Equipment Life KatahdinTrust.com | 1-800-221-2542 Ask us how we can help your business grow. SBA PREFERRED LENDER 2015 2018 (estimated) 1 % change Employment 135 305 +126% Labor income $6,874,956 $12,744,608 +85% Value-added $9,503,979 $17,692,576 +86% Output $17,954,172 $35,117,341 +96% 1 Excluding capital spending impact S O U R C E : State of Maine Offi ce of Policy and Management ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL MARINE TERMINAL OPERATIONS

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