Franklin County program could aid Kestrel
State and Brunswick officials are eyeing a new federal investment program approved for Franklin County as a way to provide funding to keep Kestrel Aircraft at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.
Last week, Kestrel President Alan Klapmeier said the company may be forced to move some of the manufacturing work it planned to do in Brunswick to New Hampshire or another more rural location in order to get more federal money through the New Market Tax Credit program. Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick, told The Times Record that the company could benefit from a recent federal approval that allows Rangeley to open a center that will encourage foreign investment by offering green cards in exchange for investments of $500,000 or more. Foreign investors willing to invest in select industries that create jobs in greater Franklin County are eligible for EB-5 visas. Gerzofsky told the paper the state and Kestrel officials are interested in seeking an amendment that could fund Kestrel, which would create some jobs in Brunswick and some at a satellite facility in Franklin County.
Officials are also exploring a new state program approved this year and administered by the Finance Authority of Maine that would allocate tax credits, though the program's rules are still being developed.
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