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Greenville used to be a booming forest-products town, but that industry base has eroded over the years, leaving the town reliant on the tourist trade. Recognizing the need to create more diversified jobs while expanding the economic base, Town Manager John Simko recommended to selectmen Wednesday that the town conduct its own trade mission across the northern border. “All indications are that the time is right and, secondly, if we are successful in any way, we’ll significantly increase the manufacturing base here in Greenville, which is desperately needed,” Simko said Thursday. The concept of Simko’s proposal, which was embraced by the board, is to devise a development package with incentives that would be presented by town officials in person to owners of Canadian wood-products firms. It was a recent personal trip to Canada that made Simko “think out of the box,” he said Thursday. With all the sawmills, manufactured housing, and other wood-products industries operating across the border, the town manager asked himself if it would be possible to lure some of these firms with a package that superseded what is offered in Canada. Simko found his answer with a little study. He said the government has subsidies of sorts and a favorable tariff relationship with Canada now. In addition, the town could, with certain conditions, give a company a lot in the industrial park for development, offer tax increment financing, provide a credit enhancement agreement identical to the one the town gave to Moosehead Cedar Log Homes, and could work to secure a railroad siding for the company to use. As conditions, the town might require any company coming into Greenville to operate at least 10 years and create a certain number of jobs. Another bonus could have a company buying its electricity directly from Greenville Steam Co. in the industrial park. In turn, a sawmill could supply fuel to the steam plant, Simko said. The fact that Pleasant River Lumber Co., a Canadian firm, has a successful operation in Dover-Foxcroft is an indication that such a relationship could work, Simko said. Simko said he would work with Scott Hersey, manager of Greenville Steam Co., and Mark Scarano, business development director for the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, to hammer out the details for such a package. Once a proposal has been developed, Simko will present it to selectmen for their approval and future direction.
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