Lumber firm sets roots in Piscataquis Groundbreaking marks first Pine Tree Zone site

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Despite the cold, gloomy weather Monday afternoon, the mood at Pleasant River Lumber Co. was upbeat as Gov. John Baldacci and an enthusiastic crowd of 30 attended a certification and groundbreaking ceremony for Piscataquis County’s first Pine Tree Zone business.

“I am particularly pleased to see this family-owned company receive the Pine Tree Zone certification,” Baldacci said during the ceremony. “This is just another example of how a company can participate in the Pine Tree Zone program and make a significant capital investment in a business where we need jobs the most.”

The 87 full-time millworkers at the Maine-owned business turn spruce trees into lumber for house frames.

The ceremony also marked the groundbreaking for a $5 million expansion and upgrade of outdated mill equipment.

Under the Pine Tree program, the state grants zone inhabitants a 100 percent corporate tax break for the first five years and a 50 percent break for the next five, among other tax incentives.

“The Brochu family is very pleased with the reception we’ve received in Piscataquis County, and we’re anxious to proceed with investments to raise this company to new levels,” company president Luke Brochu said after the ceremony.

The company owners previously had owned shares in a similar lumber company in Stratton until they decided to start a new business in Dover-Foxcroft.

Piscataquis County officials said they were pleased with the economic boost that Pleasant River Lumber has brought to the sparsely populated region.

“We realize that one job created anywhere in Piscataquis County benefits the entire county,” County Commissioner Tom Lizotte said. “We need to attack the economy on a regional basis.”

Jobs are of interest to Piscataquis County, the only county in the state that has the ability to go out to bond for economic development projects.

“We’re kind of a trailblazer for the whole state here,” Lizotte said. “I don’t think people think of Piscataquis County as a trailblazer.”

County residents will vote on Election Day on a $952,000 Piscataquis County bond.

If the bond issue passes it will fund several projects, including a $400,000 extension of the town’s water line out to Pleasant River Lumber Co., which would help keep fire danger down.

“If we can get water out here, we’re definitely going to make the investment to get sprinklers, so we can sleep better at night,” Brochu said.

After the ceremony, the governor promoted the bond issue at a gathering at the Cup & Easel Coffee Bar.

“Bonding is one way we can continue investments in our infrastructure and economy, thereby growing good-paying jobs with benefits,” Baldacci had said during the ceremony.