Ashland pellet mill to get $100K
A pellet mill in Ashland that burned down last year will be able to rebuild thanks to a nearly $100,000 grant from the federal government to rebuild.
The town of Ashland is receiving a $99,999 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program that will fund the restart of Northeast Pellets LLC, according to the Bangor Daily News. The 15,000-square-foot pellet manufacturing facility closed after a fire last March, leaving 17 people jobless. The town will purchase equipment needed for the business and lease it to the company. Owner Matthew Bell told the paper the facility is aiming to resume operations in June. The town is also awaiting response from two other grants that could add another $400,000 to funding for Northeast Pellets' restart, according to the paper.
Bell, a 2009 Mainebiz Next list honoree, opened Northeast Pellets in 2006 and by 2008 was generating between $3.5 million and $4 million annually, with a weekly peak load of 480 tons of pellets. Last year's fire was sparked by a rock or piece of metal that caught in machinery, creating a spark and igniting sawdust.
Go to the article from the Bangor Daily News >>
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