Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S N O R T H E R N M A I N E LEWISTON/AUBURN October 26 | 5–7pm | Agora Grand, Lewiston PR ES ENTI NG S PONS OR AT TENDANCE IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED! Please be sure to register ahead. Let Mainebiz help you build your professional network! Join us as we make our last stop in the 2017 On the Road series. This free event is a great forum to put a face with a name as well as make new business connections. Free admission Cash bar Complimentary hors d'oeuvres For more information or to register: www.mainebiz.biz/OTRLA R EGI ONAL S PONS OR S FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #OTRL A17 Aroostook County quick facts ¡ Population was 67,959 in 2010 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 5.4% of the state's total ¡ Originally part of Washington and Penobscot counties ¡ Aroostook is named for an Indian word meaning beautiful river ¡ Incorporated March 16, 1839 ¡ Contains two cities, 55 towns, 11 plantations and 110 unorganized townships ¡ Density is 11.1 persons per square mile ¡ Area: 6,672 square miles (21.6% of the state's area): 89% of the county's area is forest; 10% cultivated farmland; 1% lakes, ponds or rivers ¡ Houlton is the Aroostook County seat, with offi ces in Caribou and Fort Kent ¡ Maine's northernmost county bordered to the east, west and north by Canada ¡ Aroostook County is larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined ¡ Major crops: Broccoli, potatoes, hay, small grain rotation crops ¡ Site of two transatlantic balloon crossing launch sites ¡ Aroostook County is home to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. S O U R C E : Northern Maine Development Commission N orthern Maine has traditionally had a role as Maine's breadbasket and its source of the raw materials for pulp and paper mills and the construction industry. While much of Aroostook County, Maine's most northerly county and its largest, is devoted to logging, the eastern half is known for potatoes, broccoli and, more recently, beer-making ingredients like barley. Northern Maine is also home to two University of Maine campuses, in Fort Kent and Presque Isle, as well as Northern Maine Community College, also in Presque Isle. S TA R T I N G O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » N A network of infrastructure Viable transportation network Despite its seemingly remote location, northern Maine has major access chan- nels. It's connected by two major highways, Interstate 95 from the south and the Trans Canada from the north. There is air service through airports in Presque Isle, Houlton, Caribou and Frenchville. Major deep-water seaports are close by in coastal Maine, namely Searsport and Eastport, and New Brunswick. Presque Isle offers an intermodal rail facility. By rail, goods can be transported by the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway, which has daily operations between Madawaska and Searsport and between Brownville Junction and Montreal. Industrial parks with room to grow There are 20 sites zoned for industrial use throughout northern Maine that have water, sewer, three-phase power services provided by Maine Public Service, as well as road access. Sites range from 25 to 400 acres. The Loring Commerce Centre (www.loring.org), a former Air Force Base, has more than 300 buildings on 8,700 acres. Loring is home to warehouses, manufacturing and call-center operations. Telecom needs Aroostook County offers high speed telecommunications infrastructure with room to grow. High speed Internet service options include DSL, cable and traditional dedicated lines with a point-of- presence switch located in Presque Isle. Redundant SONET rings will help ensure reliability of communications to all your customers, no matter where they are. S O U R C E : Northern Maine Development Commission Higher education abounds University of Maine at Presque Isle www.umpi.edu ¡ 22 bachelor's degree programs (including 18 concentration options) ¡ 35 minors ¡ 5 certifi cate programs ¡ 3 top rankings in US. News and World Report's "2018 Best Colleges List." University of Maine Fort Kent www.umfk.edu ¡ 25 majors with 47 possible concentrations ¡ 19 minors ¡ 3 certifi cate programs ¡ Aims to be "model rural university" whose graduates "are globally prepared and able to provide leadership to rural communities anywhere on the planet." Northern Maine Community College Presque Isle, www.nmcc.edu P H O T O / G O O G L E M A P S Loring Commerce Centre has 300 buildings and 8,700 acres to accommodate business growth.

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