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LIMESTONE – Wide-bodied aircraft again will be thundering down the 12,000-foot runway this fall at the Loring Commerce Centre.
The Telford Group, a Maine-based aviation company, announced Friday that it plans to open an aircraft facility at the LCC.
The announcement is a coup for the Loring Development Authority, which has been trying to find a use for the huge aircraft hangars and fully functional runway left when Loring Air Force Base closed seven years ago.
About 25 people will work at the facility initially, with plans that work will expand and employees added, according to Bob Ziegelaar, president of The Telford Group.
Ziegelaar is the former manager of Bangor International Airport, where Telford has an aviation maintenance operation.
The Telford Group is involved in a joint venture with Volvo Aero Services, a subsidiary of the international Volvo Group. Telford’s activities at Loring will expand this corporate partnership, officials said in a joint statement.
Plans call for disassembly and associated maintenance of aircraft as large as the Boeing 747 series, which require large hangars like those at Loring.
“We are absolutely delighted that a Maine corporation, in partnership with a prominent global aerospace company, is making this development a reality for Loring,” Brian Hamel, LDA president, said Friday.
Ziegelaar first saw the Loring facilities four years ago when he was a member of a task force that evaluated the possible uses for the aviation facilities at Loring.
“I was very impressed,” Ziegelaar said.
The maintenance work will require a number of aircraft technicians, which already are on Telford’s payroll. People with metal working skills also will be needed for the expected full-time jobs. Ziegelaar said that the company would train potential employees.
The pay range for such work has not been discussed, but the aviation executive said it was safe to say “it’s above minimum wage.”
The aircraft maintenance will use the arch hangar, known for its sloping roof, and some nearby warehouse space, according to Hamel. The arch hangar can store up to three 747s at once.
The LDA board of trustees was told of the pending deal during a closed-door session on Wednesday.
“This is what we’ve been dreaming of,” said Hamel, referring to the reuse plan that incorporated aviation as a major part of the reuse effort.
Other details to the project have yet to be completed, according to the reuse executive.
Earlier this year, the LDA launched a statewide effort to obtain $1.5 million to renovate the arch hangar in an effort to attract potential tenants. The roof needs to be replaced, among other improvements.
Initially, Gov. Angus King and the Maine Department of Transportation declined to include the funding in an upcoming transportation bond issue.
After several meetings and discussions, however, both King and DOT Commissioner John Melrose are supporting the funding, according to Hamel.
Telford’s announcement also said that King is a “strong supporter of the project and has been in contact with Loring as well as Telford and Volvo officials.”
Because of the name recognition of the companies involved in the deal, Hamel expects other aviation firms to take a look at Loring.
“We’ll see a lot of spin-offs [in industry],” Hamel predicted.
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