Loring gets tenant with use for runway

Sunday, June 17, 2001

By The Associated Press,

LIMESTONE — The Loring Development Authority has snagged what it has long wanted – an employer who will use the 12,000-foot runway at the former Air Force bomber base.

The Telford Group, a Maine-based aviation company, announced Friday it plans to open an aircraft maintenance facility at the Loring Commerce Centre.

About 25 people will work at the facility initially, said 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 has a joint venture with Volvo Aero Services, a subsidiary of the international Volvo Group.

Plans call for disassembly and maintenance of aircraft as large as the Boeing 747 series, which would use Loring's arch hangar. The hangar is big enough to store up to three 747s at once.

''We are absolutely delighted that a Maine corporation, in partnership with a prominent global aerospace company, is making this development a reality for Loring,'' said Brian Hamel, president of the Loring Development Authority.

The maintenance work will require a number of aircraft technicians already on Telford's payroll. People with metal-working skills also will be needed, and Telford would train potential employees.

This year, the Loring Development Authority launched a statewide effort to obtain $1.5 million to renovate the arch hangar in an effort to attract potential tenants. The hangar's roof needs to be replaced.

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,'' Hamel predicted.

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