The purpose of the incubator is to give start-up and expanding manufacturers the space and support they need to grow locally, a mission it seems to fulfill with the signing of Maine House, operated by the Poiss family. “Were it not for this facility, we would not be able to expand our business at this time,” said family patriach and Maine House president Mienhoff Poiss, who spoke briefly at Thursday’s ceremony.

Following remarks by Greenville Town Manager John Simko, who also acts as president of the Composites Technology Centers Corporation (CTC), which administers the incubator building and its sister site in Sanford, Bill Osborn, a Department of Economic and Community Development official standing in for Governor John Baldacci, relayed the governor’s sentiments.

Osborn said the governor was optimistic of the future of manufacturing in Maine as that sector undergoes a transformation. Initiatives like the Greenville Business Incubator, which hopes to grow the wood composite industry in Piscataquis County, show how “the emergence of new technology is opening up new markets” and signal “a new day of efficient production and growth”.

Mark Scarano, executive director the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC), who first introduced the Poiss family to the idea of locating their manufacturing operation in the incubator, also spoke to the changing face of manufacturing.

“Piscataquis County has a long, proud history of taking products and making something bigger and better,” he said. By creating the incubator and allowing for the growth of niche opportunities, Greenville and the rest of the county are in a position to compete in the manufacturing sector of the 21st century, he said, continuing a legacy that currently has 25 percent of county residents involved in manufacturing in some way, twice the state average. Scott Hersey, president of Greenville Steam, vice president of PCEDC and a strong advocate of the incubator, said that the future of the Moosehead Lake region economy depends on the strength of its workers, the success of the industrial park, and the ability of officials to create the right kind of opportunities, such as those that would come with the addition of rail to the park.

“(The incubator) is a step in the process,” he said. “The incubator has created a buzz that, hey, we can do business in Piscataquis County.”

Staff members from Maine’s Congressional delegation also attended the ceremony, and each read statements from their bosses.

A statement from Sen. Olympia Snowe, chair of the committee on small business and entrepreneurship, said the incubator is a way to increase economic opportunities for the small business community. She said the Greenville Business Incubator,which hopes to bring in tenants in the growing field of wood composites, “draws on innovation, creativity and a partnership with two of Maine’s greatest natural resources -- a healthy forest and a dedicated workforce.”

Dr. Habib Dagher of the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center (AEWC) at the University of Maine, a breeding ground for the products and entreprenuers who one day may occupy the incubator, said the GBI provides the financing and incentives necessary for the ideas percolated in his lab to become success in the market.

“Having the incubator and having the support is critical,” he said.

Dagher pointed out three successful businesses that have come out of the AEWC. One, Maine Marine Manufacturing, is working a prototype for a composite boat for the Navy SEALS. Another, Harbor Technologies, makes non-corrosive pilings for piers.

The Greenville Business Incubator is owned by the town and leased to the CTC. It provides high-quality, low-cost space to expanding manufacturing firms. The building is currently 10,000 square feet, but future expansion is planned and hinges on funding and tenant needs.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Moosehead Messenger and is used here with permission."