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Sponsored by: Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
July 24, 2019 2019 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine

Maine’s Center for Innovation: Brunswick Landing

Photos from Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Brunswick Landing and Topsham Commerce Park have become an important hub of manufacturing and technology, generating 1,800 jobs and an annual payroll of more than $110 million in just eight years.
Photo from Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Greisen Aerospace is one of a number of aerospace/aviation companies that have leveraged Brunswick Executive Airport as an important economic driver and business attraction tool at Brunswick Landing.

You Can Make It Here

Manufacturing drives much of the success at Brunswick Landing and Topsham Commerce Park.

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA), master redeveloper of the 3,300-acre former Naval Air Station Brunswick property, has attracted more than 130 companies. Nearly 30% are engaged in manufacturing; more than 40% are new to Maine.

“Our goal of becoming a tech hub with centers of excellence in our target sectors (aerospace, biotech/biomed, composites, cleantech/renewable energy, IT) is becoming a reality,” MRRA Executive Director Steve Levesque said.

Since base closure eight years ago, more than 1,800 jobs have been created, including more than 200 Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing (STEM) positions. Total annual payroll generated by these businesses is more than $110 million. If growth continues on-trend, MRRA estimates payroll will surpass the Navy’s peak annual payroll, $140 million, within two years.

Brunswick Executive Airport, which opened in 2011, is also an important economic driver and business attraction tool. Growth in air traffic, aviation fuel sales, and based aircraft exceeds projections. The airport hosts a dozen aerospace/aviation companies, including six aircraft and parts manufacturers.

MRRA is exceeding redevelopment goals and outpacing out-of-state peers from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) class. The innovation and manufacturing activities happening here are particularly exciting.

“We’re all about the future,” Levesque said. “It’s important to support research and development, particularly endeavors that boost manufacturing and lead to quality jobs. Innovation will push Maine’s economy forward. We’re seeing amazing examples here.”

Brunswick Landing is home to world-class manufacturers like Mölnlycke Health Care and General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works; and small to medium-size startups like STARC Systems, bluShift Aerospace, Ocean Renewable Power Co., Running Tide Technologies, and Wicked Joe Coffee Roasting (Topsham Commerce Park). Brunswick Landing also hosts TechPlace, a manufacturing business incubator with shared machine and composites shops and a shared bioproduction lab.

STARC Systems manufactures reusable construction debris containment panels with noise reduction capabilities. STARC started in TechPlace with about 3,000 square feet of space. After two years, STARC outgrew TechPlace and moved into two buildings totaling 25,000 square feet. It now has more than 50 employees and is looking to expand further.

“We believe we’re going to need at least double the space by 2020,” said STARC CEO Chris Vickers.

Mölnlycke, a Swedish company, expanded to Brunswick Landing in 2013. MRRA constructed an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant for the company, which produces advanced medical devices and has 80 employees. Mölnlycke plans to eventually double the size of its state-of-the-art facility and workforce.

BIW leases over 50,000 square feet from MRRA and Cardente Real Estate, to house a welding school and ship design facility.

Smaller businesses thrive

bluShift Aerospace, a startup designing bio-derived rocket fuel and a small rocket for low-Earth orbit, expanded out of TechPlace into a 2,000-square-foot building. In June, bluShift received a NASA Small Business Innovation Research grant to develop its modular engine system. bluShift’s launch services are expected to create at least 40 jobs over the next five years and bring revenue from the growing cube satellite market to Maine.

Running Tide Technologies builds high-tech oyster farming equipment and recently expanded to another former Navy facility in Harpswell. In April, Ocean Renewable Power Company completed its first RivGen® hydrokinetic tidal power product – a semi-portable generator that creates electricity by submerging special turbines into rivers. Assembled in one of MRRA’s large hangars, it’s gone to Alaska to a remote village.

Brunswick Landing has capacity to support further manufacturing growth, with approximately 200,000 square feet available in hangars, ground support facilities and office buildings, plus land for construction of new buildings. Sites are shovel-ready and in many cases have utilities, including 3-phase power.

Southern Maine Community College’s Midcoast Campus at Brunswick Landing helps attract, develop and train a strong workforce. SMCC’s degrees match MRRA’s target sectors, including composites manufacturing and cyber security.

Brunswick Landing, Maine’s Center for Innovation

15 Terminal Road, Brunswick, ME 04011

Steve Levesque, Executive Director
Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
207-798-6512, stevel@mrra.us

www.mrra.us

Manufacturing businesses at Brunswick Landing:

All Natural Technologies

Arcadia Alliance

Atayne

Atol Avion

Black Diamond Whiskey

bluShift Aerospace

Brunswick Aviation Services

Clamar Floats

Fiddlehead Designs

Field Phyto Nutrients

Flight Deck Brewing

Greisen Aerospace

Grifin LLC

Harpswell House

InSphero

Kennebec River Bioscience

Lean East

Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Mölnlycke Health Care

New England Tent and Awning

Noble Wellness

Nobleheart Products

Ocean Renewable Power Company

Quahog Bay Bedding

Running Tide Technologies

Skordo

STARC Systems

SteriZign

Studio V (Varney CNC)

Tempus Applied Solutions (TMPS)

The Maine Extraction

TOP-ME Tags

West Maquoit Vinegar Works

Wicked Joe Coffee (Topsham Commerce Park)