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In this month's issue:Our annual review of things that made us proud of Sanford this year, and a sneak peak of some things coming our way in 2017. Plus, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard get support from congress in the National Defense Authorization Act, Maine's congressional delegation rallies around a Sanford company, and more!

News & Events

Congressional Delegation Rallies in Support of Local Manufacturer

A creel holding yarn at FMW.

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced this month that they have sent a joint letter to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board expressing their support for the trade appeal Flemish Master Weavers (FMW), a rug manufacturer based in south Sanford.

FMW has applied to the FTZ Board for its site to be designated a Foreign Trade Zone, which would exempt it from certain tariffs on the yarn it imports to use in the manufacture of rugs in Sanford. The tariffs are designed to protect American manufacturers like FMW, but they are actually putting the company at a disadvantage. FMW imports the yarn it uses because there is no equivalent yarn made in the United States except by FMW's direct competitors, who manufacture the yarn for their own use (and are therefore not subject to the same tariffs).

"A strong manufacturing industry is essential to Maine's future, and securing fair trade regulations for Maine-based companies is of critical importance to our communities and economy," Collins, King, Pingree and Poliquin said in their joint letter. "Flemish Master Weavers employs 127 people in Sanford, Maine, and is one of Southern Maine's largest manufacturing employers... Approval of the FTZ application would not only increase competitiveness, but set the company on a track to expand operations."

Read more in this article from the Journal Tribune.
 
Sanford Sewerage District Showcases Composting Program

SSD's new composting facility

Sanford has joined 300 other communities in the United States that have established composting programs to reuse biosolids from their treatment programs. The city is now one of only 36 in New England that puts its solids through a certified 21 day process to ensure it is free of pathogens, will not attract pests, and can safely be used as fertilizer. The result is garden-ready compost that will be available at the water treatment plant off Gavel Road starting in spring for residents who want to use it, just as they're now able to get winter salt and sand at the local Department of Public Works.

Learn more about the program in this Sanford News article.
 
Senate Votes to Support Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate passed the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides for robust funding for shipbuilding and military construction projects, including those at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which employs more Sanford residents than it does residents of any other Maine community.

The NDAA authorizes $17.8 million for unaccompanied housing at Portsmouth Navy Shipyard (PNSY) to provide housing for the crew of submarines; $30.1 million for utility improvements of nuclear platforms at PNSY; and $27.1 million to construct a replacement medical/dental clinic at PNSY.

The bill would also authorize the Navy to provide full per diem to public shipyard workers traveling on long-term temporary duty. This would modify the existing, flawed Department of Defense long-term temporary duty policy for shipyard workers conducting off-yard maintenance.

There are other provisions in the Act that help Maine manufacturers, including New Balance shoes and Pratt and Whitney, another large employer in the Sanford region.

Read the full press release from Senator Angus King's office.
 
Sanford Native Teaches How to Be a "10% Entrepreneur"

Patrick McGinnis, a Sanford native, has written a new book teaching how people can be effective entrepreneurs without leaving their day jobs. By devoting 10% of their time (and, if possible, their money) on side projects that use their talents and abilities and that focus on their goals and interests, McGinnis says, people can achieve their goals. His book profiles 20 entrepreneurs who have found success in this way.

McGinnis, who is a graduate of Harvard Business School and Georgetown University, now lives in New York but returns to Sanford to visit his parents, who still live here.

Read this interview with McGinnis from the Sanford News.
 

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Letter from Executive Director Jim Nimon - December 2016



As we conclude 2016, we wish to first thank our volunteer board of directors. They are a group of individuals who roll up their sleeves each day and try to make Sanford a better place to live, work and play. They share a common belief that this once great economic engine for Maine is making the right decisions and taking the right steps to return Sanford to that level of prominence in the near future (see the photo above that displays a Sanford News headline we envision sometime very soon). We as staff benefit from their advice and support. Thank you!

With that in mind, as we’ve done in the past, this last month of the year we share what has made us all most proud during 2016. We also highlight the support Flemish Master Weavers garnered recently from the Maine Congressional Delegation, the US Senate’s support for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Sanford Sewerage District’s new program just begun that ranks it among a select few in New England, and a new book for entrepreneurs just published by Sanford native son Patrick McGinnis. We’re making plans for 2017 that we’ll share next month. From our families to yours, Happy Holidays! 
 

A Look Back at Things that Made Us Proud of Sanford in 2016


The US Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that it is awarding $769,209 in federal funds to help Sanford build its SanfordNet Fiber project, a 45-mile fiber optic network that, when finished, will be eight times larger than the next largest municipal information network in Maine. The project will take about 12 months to complete and is slated to begin construction in the New Year. If you have not yet checked out the fact sheet on the SanfordNet Fiber, you can do so here. 

Construction began in May on Sanford’s new integrated High School/Technical Center. The school is slated to open for classes in fall of 2018 and, when complete, will be the largest school construction project in the state. Progress on construction is being captured on film both by hand-held cameras and with an aerial drone. Videos can be viewed at the Sanford School Construction page on the school website – it is truly fascinating and awe-inspiring to watch this project take shape. The most recent video can be viewed here.

Planning for Phase II of the Sanford School Construction Project got underway this fall. Our readers may recall that, in 2011 when the Maine Department of Education Sanford listed its priorities for funding improvements to schools, Sanford had two of the top five schools in the state in need of improvement.  The first of those is described above. The second project will be more complicated because, instead of focusing on one building, the City is planning to take the opportunity to do a system-wide improvement of its K-8 facilities. Sanford has been approved to receive state funding for the project and an initial straw poll at an informational meeting in November showed unanimous support from the large gathering of local residents who attended.

The Third Annual Sanford International Film Festival Repeated its Success. Film buffs were treated to some of the best independent films being made here in Sanford as well as around the globe. We were pleased to participate in the third year of the film fest led by director James Harmon and we are looking forward to year four! Please note that in 2017, the festival will be moving to October instead of May.  Organizers hope the change of date will mean they have less competition from beautiful late-spring weather tempting people away from movie screens.

Manufacturers are going strong. At a recent Rotary meeting where he had been invited to speak, Growth Council director Jim Nimon was asked by an audience member about new and expanding businesses in Sanford.  This got us thinking, so we started putting together a list of businesses that we have worked with in some way over the past couple of years that have either established a new business in Sanford or expanded their existing business. The list is impressive!  Many of the companies on it are manufacturers who have been quietly going about their day to day business activities, thriving and growing in South Sanford even during the financial instability in the past few years. We’ll be sharing snippets from past years in the next few newsletters.

YCCC expanded its presence in Sanford, moving its precision machining technology programs from its former 7,000 square foot facility on Eagle Drive to a new 20,000 square foot facility on Community Drive.  The space is large enough to accommodate the addition of other programs and signals a desire for YCCC to increase its program offerings here. All of this is good news for regional manufacturers who will, with the new high school and technical center in addition to the expanded YCCC offerings, have the prospect of a growing pool of trained workers right on their doorstep.

The City announced plans for the Sanford Airport Solar Project. When complete, it will be the largest solar array on an airport anywhere in the US.  In fact, as far as airport manager Allison Rogers has been able to ascertain, it may be the largest such array on an airport in the world! Aside from getting us into the record books, the project will have the very real benefit of providing significant taxable investment ($62.5 million), providing an estimated $1.3 million/year in tax revenue to the City and reducing the mil rate by as much as an estimated 4.7%. It will also enable the airport to become financially self-sufficient, requiring no tax-payer money. A competitive energy advantage for Sanford is in the works.

Last year the new Gateway Park was one of our “Ten Things that Made Us Proud in 2015”. This year we are including it again because work has continued to make it an attractive part of Sanford’s downtown, with new restroom facilities opened in May and a new flagstone path laid by volunteers. The spot has not only transformed a former eye-sore in the downtown area, it has become a popular spot for watching fireworks during Independence Day and gathering for other events.

The first annual Great Pumpkin Festival in October revived much of the spirit of the former Harvest Daze festival in Sanford. A giant pumpkin weigh-off, a pumpkin catapult, scarecrow decorating contest, games, food, family entertainment, craft vendors, a car show and the always-popular pumpkin regatta race – featuring decorated giant pumpkin boats being paddled on Number One Pond – was a great success.

Sanford Businesses Took Two of the Top Prizes at the annual York County Business Awards hosted by YCCC in November.  Heidi’s Heavenly Pot Pies won the Small Business of the Year award and Above & Beyond Catering won the Medium Business of the Year award. Both of these businesses are long established and well-respected here in Sanford, so this recognition is well-deserved and shows that Sanford’s businesses compare favorably to any others in our region.

A beloved Sanford landmark, the former St. Ignatius church and school, has begun its transformation into housing for seniors in the heart of Sanford’s downtown. The project broke ground in October with a ceremony and a blessing from Bishop Deeley of the Roman Catholic Diocese. Having additional affordable quality housing right in the center of town will add further momentum to the revitalization that began in 2013 with the redevelopment of the Sanford Mill.

The Sanford Micro-Enterprise Assistance Grant Program awarded its final grant this spring to local soap manufacturer Possum Hollow Farm Soap.  The company, run by Jen and Derek Bedford, moved to Sanford two years ago and has big aspirations: to become the “Stonewall Kitchen of Soap”. The grant, which had a 25% cash match from the company, helped with the purchase of a soap wrapping machine that will enable the company to operate more efficiently and avoid injury from the repetitive motion of wrapping soap. The Sanford MEA grant program was funded through money given to the City of Sanford by the Maine Community Development Block Grant program to benefit very small local businesses.

The first annual Synergize Sanford Awards took place in May, recognizing business excellence and community spirit. The event took place at Mill 67 Restaurant and celebrated the best of Sanford, recognizing six outstanding individuals.

 

A New Year's Resolution for YOU



We have heard frequent praise for the Growth Council Newsletter and we have been told that people look forward to reading it. So as we head into 2017 with pride in our accomplishments and anticipation of key projects coming to fruition in the new year, we ask each of you to resolve to spread positive news about Sanford, both here in our community and to your friends and colleagues elsewhere.

We would like 2017 to be the year when each of our readers recruits someone new to receive the newsletter each month. Please take five minutes to forward the newsletter and remind someone to visit our sign-up page to opt in to receive our monthly update. This would double our readership and expand our reach even beyond that, because we know there are some readers who regularly share our newsletter with colleagues and friends. Thank you for reading and for supporting our efforts. Most of all, thank you for helping spread the news about the great things happening in Sanford, Maine!
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