Morning Sentinel from Waterville, Maine (2024)

April 27, 1979

Publication:

Morning Sentineli

Location:

Waterville, Maine

Issue Date:

Friday, April 27, 1979

Page:

1

Extracted Article Text (OCR)

1 0 7 Industry Guilford Industries Plans Major Expansion At Newport By JEANNETTE BROWN Sentinel Correspondent NEWPORT The economic picture in this Penobscot County community took an upswing Thursday with the announcement from Guil ford Industries that it would be adding another shift and at least two more departments as well as increasing the capacity of existing depart ments throughout the summer In early 1978 Guilford began using its ware houses for storage and employed some 10 or so people there but in June 1978 King Cummings chairman and chief executive officer along with other Guilford Industries executives met with former Town Manager Paul Weston and Paul Leonard president of the Newport Development Corp to announce plans to reactivate the plant At that time Guilford Industries started with 16 looms one shift and between 25 30 employees Less than 10 months later the firm now employs some 120 people with 39 looms and two full shifts The expansion will add another 20 looms increase the total shifts to three 'double the size of the mending crew from'10 to 20 people add a dressing machine to make warps for three shifts and adda stock processing department In all the local mill will be employing just under 200 people by the end of the summer according to Rudy Guilmet of Guilford director of personnel In fact according to Guilmet a lack of employees is holding up the scheduled expansion Guilmet said during Thursday's interview that he felt people were afraid the mill was just here on a temporary basis but that is not the case Guilmet said the company was currently looking for a plant manager for the Newport mill since the Newport plant had grown too large to be run out of the Guilford mill any longer The new expansion has included building a new loading dock and clearing and moving a wall to make floor space for the added looms Guilford Industries fomerly had a mill in Newport known as Cummings Mill which was closed down in 1973 as orders decreased dramatically for apparel cloth which was the sole product of the company at that time After regrouping in the early the firm diversified adding panel fabric upholstery to their line The company manufactures synthetic and combination fabrics Guilmet said The firm makes its yam at its Eastport mill which is trucked to both Guilford and Newport for finishing The sales office is located in the Empire State building in New York City Guilmet stressed the company is searching for employees in several ways advertisem*nts going to area high schools for co op students and could also use some temporary summer help i The local plant has been constantly training new help Guilmet said Guilmet stressed the company wants good stable people looking for permanent jobs and it would be helpful if they were experienced but it a requirement Prospective employees may come to the Newport plant Monday through riday from 6:30 am to 4 pm or call the plant for an appointment at other times ormer Newport man King Cummings serves as chairman and chief executive office while a Waterville resident Len Saulter is present Saulter was formerly with Hathaway Shirt of Waterville and came to Guilford Industries in ebruary of this year after serving as president of Eagle Shirt in New York State Guilmet met with new Town Manager Thomas Collins on Tuesday to keep local officials updated on company plans Two Pittsfield Plants Consider Possible Expansion By GAIL NORRIS Sentinel Correspondent PITTSIELD Two local industries are exploring changes and possible expansions that could bode well for industrial growth in Pitts field and coincide with proposed downtown revitalization and the construction of the first Shopping center here Robert Brooks director of manufacturing for the Edwards Co Inc confirmed Thursday that the company is considering a possible reloca tion in the Pittsfield Industrial Park The Edwards Co has undergone changes in management he said and is in the process of through a strategic evaluation Meanwhile Michael endler co owner of Church Goods Manufacturing Co here said Thursday that within the next two years his facility might be expanded to accommodate the Space Craft International Inc a metal ware business also owned by endler According to Brooks a site in the developing dndustrial park would offer room for expansion closer proximity to 1 95 and the availability of railroad siding He added however despite the fact that the present building is hemmed in on two sides by the Sebasticook River thereby limiting expansion have an attractive location here with a lot of latitude that most people Brooks emphasized that there is a great deal involved in the evaluation of all three Edwards Co plants and a move into the industrial park is only one of many alternatives for the Pitts field branch The other two plants are in Canada and Connecticut where the main office is located All three manufacture alarm systems The bulk of the evaluation of the three Edwards plants Brooks said should be com pleted by June and at that time he will be better equipped to assess the future plans for the local operation As far as the future of Church Goods goes endler said that over the next five years he is expecting a gradual 15 to 20 percent growth in business without any physical Also Thursday Brooks confirmed that he and Town Manager Richard Plante have discussed the possibility of the Edwards Co purchasing steam from the town in the event the town invests in a garbage incinerator that could also be used for steam generation Plante said that purchasing an incinerator as an alternative to maintaining a sanitary land fill has come under consideration by his office and appears to be the only practical alternative for the town Brooks however commented that a com prehensive study will need to be done to deter mine the feasibility of the concept He noted that the Edwards Co uses steam mainly for heating purposes with only 15 to 20 percent used in processing The deadline specified by the Department of Environmental Protection for open burning at the Pittsfield dump is early this summer Plante said he does not as yet have a time schedule for studying the various aspects involved in setting up an incinerator The most important factor in successful generation of steam by an incinerator is the determination of the daily volume of garbage available and it is adequate to support such a system Such a feasibility study has not yet been made 1 1 th Hour Backing or UDAG? By ANN McGOWAN Sentinel Staff PITTSIELD An eleventh hour wrap up for commitments to Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) project is being predicted by Town Manager Richard Plante Task orce Members were told Wednesday night that to date signed letters of consent stand at $279500 in pledged backing from the private sector The final application to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development is due May 23 and Plante is predicting that the $2 million dollars in private commitment needed will be coming in at last the minute If obtained the private commitments would generate $600000 in federal money which would be used for improving parking areas sidewalks lighting streets and demolition of the east side of Main Street Plante said that several private investors are looking seriously at the east side of Main Street for new construction and any two or three combination could push the commitment up to the needed limit One of the projects being considered he said is a medical facility which would house offices Scott Official Hopeful Despite Cut In Share Of Tissue Towel Market the local of the Anson Selectman Is SCMA President anc QIANA 12I 97? OPtN MON Thru SAT 9:30 5:30 BI 9:30 to 9 16x24 has the TOLD Club SPORTSWEAR ABRICS ALSO Lions the the mendation Right To Work legislation is conceded to have only a slim chance of passage in the House or Senate he added Wyman said he is opposed to the Right To Work bill which would outlaw union shops which require employees to join the union in order to work against this law because it isn't needed Maine is not a union state and most shops are already open He said Right To Work is a misnomer employees themselves decide if they want a union as a condition of employment This is democracy the majority rules It is the right of employees to decide if they want a union and Right To Work would take away that members that it was still little academic at this to discuss the possibility of installation of a new paper machine at the Winslow plant While noting that corporate officials had tentatively set their sights on addition of a new multi million dollar machine at pne of the eastern operations Cusano said the corporation's board of directors had not yet given final approval Vo investment in the venture While concentrating his talk on the future of the Winslow plant and the need to make it more cost efficient Cusano also emphasized the importance of increased production at the Somerset mill which represents the single largest investment put an awful lot of our eggs in that basket Cusano said later adding got to find a way to make that mill do the job capable By making the Somerset mill more productive Cusano said more capital should be By LARRY ROSENTHAL Sentinel Staff Scott Paper declining share of the toilet tissue and towel markets poses a serious threat to operations at the Winslow plant but a top level company official said Wednesday he is optimistic about the future do have some very difficult problems ahead of us but as long as life Dominic A Cusano vice president of northeast packaged products division told the Winslow Lions Club Cusano told the club which held a party in celebration of Scott Paper 100th birthday that the major problem affecting the Winslow plant was the discrepancy between production capacity and demand rom 1960 to 1978 Cusano said share of the toilet tissue market dropped from 39 to 269 percent and its share of the towel market went from 579 to 27 percent PRIVATE BRANDS now maintain a hold on the largest portion of the markets Cusano said as some consumers opt tor some of the less expensive makes of towels and toilet tissue Cusano said after the meeting that the No 2 towel machine had been scheduled to be shut down by the middle of the year but that a decision had been made later to continue operations throughout 1979 According to Cusano Scott Warren Co in Westbrook is seeking to acquire the machine and to convert it into use for another type of operation Cusano said he was not sure how many jobs would be affected if such a change were made OR THE REST of the year however Cusano predicted a stable level of operations at the said that following hearing on the bill a preliminary vote by com mitteie members indicated the measure would receive an motives I would hope House members realize that theii differences are philosophica: and deserving of Wyman chairman of the House Labor Committee alsc commented on the Right To Work legislation now before the panel The Pittsfield lawmaker compared to other years he said the figures were not as "glamorous as we would have Pre tax earnings were higher in such years as 1969 and 1976 than they were last year Cusano noted The fluctuation in earnings is a major problem for Scott Paper By THOMAS LIZOTTE Sentinel Staff SKOWHEGAN The state inability to reach an agreement on the Maine State Employees Association contract stems from philosophical differences rather than party politics area legislators told the Somerset County Municipal Association here Wednesday night State Senate Andrew Redmond (R Madison) said the Republicans have been made out to be the in the contract dispute but noted: want the people to have their pay raises There has been no organized party stand against the contract but rather individual decisions Redmond said he and other legislators against the agency shop as a matter of principle I have the answer for billing the but I feel the agency clause infringes on constitutional rights and the freedom of The agency clause in the cast aspersions on MSEA contract would require non union members to pay 80 pecent of union dues to help support the MSEA Redmond said the GOP caucused Wednesday and com mented the general feeling he got from that session was that Republicans budge in available in the future to meet some of the needs of Winslow operation While Cusano said trends surrounding production and sale of towels and toilet tissue were not attractive he did say they were events at work that might slow the decline in the market and Winslow plant and even spoke about the possibility of attracting new corporate investments here Cusano said th? first quarter reports from both the Winslow and Somerset Plant operations were encouraging and talked of the campaign for a $64 million investment in a new Riley boiler to increase energy efficiency at the Winslow plant An old boiler system would be converted under the project to run on wood waste and would represent a major savings for the plant Cusano said If the project were rejected this year it would represent an setback he said but the conversion could still be carried out in the future One of the more promising features of the Maine operations Cusano said was the ability of the plants to be largely energy independent Cusano also cited the highly skilled labor forces as a distinct advantage operations CUSANO inquisitive SKOWHEGAN Robert Garland first selectman of Anson was elected president of the Somerset County Municipal Association at the annual meeting Wednesday night Other officers elected were Elsie Crawford of Jackman first vice president James Hills of Solon second vice president Elizabeth Hogate of Cornville secretary and Shirley Hanson of Pittsfield treasurer Association directors elected were Herbert Hanson of Pittsfield Dale Watson of Skowhegan Charles Pooler of Bingham Wilfred Herring of Norridgewock Laurence Amazeen of Cornville Ashley Rowell of Harmony and Ralph Marchetti of Smithfield The next meeting will be May 23 at Bingham when Chris Lock wood new executive director of the Maine Municiapl Association is scheduled to sjeak ire Department Extinguishes Blaze NORRIDGEWOCK The Norridgewock ire Department responded to a fire at the Charles Bacheller residence on Route 139 Tuesday afternoon shortly after 4 pm POLYESTER ft DOUBLEKNITS OrM Weight their opposition of the agency clause provision "I feel the union and Gov Joseph Brennan will have to agree to pull the clause out of the contract for workers to get not to pass" recom their pay raise although the governor has indicated he will not do Redmond said the state pay raise pass without the agency fee clause State Rep James Elias (D Madison) observed he also does not see any compromise al hand on the MSEA contract and observed: the contract approved soon I know what the next step will be Something has to give some State Rep Jasper Wymar (D Pittsfield) commented that the debate on the MSEA started to deteriorate in House He said the stands for against the MSEA contract an made on principle and saic fellow legislators not Shuttle Skoppe On th Concour underneath Standard Shoe 173 6440 Includes concrete slab materials will build on your site (less Gravel base) HAROLD A BICKORD Building Contractor 453 6087 22x24 2 car garage3895 perhaps reverse it A central question he said is whether Scott can continue to compete in the towel business and still make a profit Referring to Scott Paper 51 percent increase in earnings in 1978 Cusano remarked that the figures were good compared to 1977 But GARAGES SPECIAL PRICE UNTIL MAY 31 st 12x24 A car garage 1 car garage2399 3145 Spring Is Stumbling Block To State Pay Raises SCMA Told to: MW LLMT JSES LOOR ZODIAC LAMPS HAIR ASHIONS ran buyhowjndsav! openwnkhttih Ot GRACE IDEAL oN pine tree 872 6621 ftRx LaCnlx Pnp I URNITURE I Call Today for Appointment I BAY ST WINSLOW LIQUIDATION SALE I 1 Donald Profenno DC WE NEED THE ROOM CH I ODrClCtO All urniture and Appliances uniropr OCTO Sold AT COST Everything I now pting patients Must Goll 1 16 College Ave Empire Discount urniture ofhci Hours BtppoiKTMtnr REGAL SHOPPING CENTER Rte 961 airfield MORNING SENTINEL riday April 27 1979 15 MORNING SENTINEL I II Hi Mi East Main Street A rear view of the east side of Main Street in downtown Pittsfield shows the deteriorated area marked for demolition under the revitalization plan currently proposed if an Urban Development Action Grant is approved for the town Town Manager Richard Plante said that a office complex is one idea being considered for the area Sentinel Photo by Robert Norris) Crime Newport Men Arrested or Kitchen Hill Breaks NEWPORT The Bangor and Hampden police departments teamed up with Newport Police Wednesday night and assisted in arresting two men charged with auto theft burglary and theft from two kitchen Hill Road homes David A Reavis 21 and John Deering 20 both of Bangor were arrested in Hampden as they went to collect their paychecks at a Hampden business They were transported to the Penobscot County Jail where as of Thursday afternoon they had not provided bail Deering is charged with auto theft with bail set at $1000 while Revis is charged with auto theft and two counts each of burglary and theft The men are charged with breaking into the home of John Armstrong taking a carton of cigarettes and an unknown amount of money rom there they allegedly took a towel which was used to shield their hands while they broke a window in the home of Richard Stone next door rom the Stone residence car keys the 1974 Buick and more than $150 was allegedly taken According to Newport Police officers rederick Coates and Bernard Bolles the quick help of Bangor Police Department Det Sgt Bill Hawes and Hampden police ended with both men arrested and the stolen articles recovered Themen are to appear in Third District Court Newport for arraignment on Wednesday Mayo Pleads Innocent In Housekeeping Case ARMINGTON Richard Mayo a 29 year old Waterville man charged with criminal trespassing following a two week stay at Turner resident Roland camp in Eustis was arraigned here in 12th District Court Thursday Mayo pleaded innocent to charges that the camp he was living in for several days belonged to someone else and that he was trespassing without their permission Mayo had allegedly moved several articles into the Eustis camp and evidence indicated that he planned to stay for some time He also reportedly was responsible for many in the dwelling Such as installing an outside light insulating windows and removing a door and filling the doorway with insulation His case has been continued to May 29 at 2:30 Tentative counsel has been appointed by the court and he was released Thursday on $2000 personal recognizance bond Efforts to locate Mayo Thursday for his comments were unsuccessful MOTOR SUPPLY CO 1 07 COLLEGE AVE WATERVILLE 873 4286 OR TOLL REE 800 452 4646 MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES INVENTORY IN THE amous or riendly Service GRAMAN'Ssupmu 81 MADISON AVE SKOWHEGAN ME 474 3327 OR TOLL REE 800 452 4655 What's New At MARDEN'S amous Name Brand Whip Type Grass Trimmers Ours 24 Mickey's on vacation so we're cleaning house Assortment of CARPET from $199 to 299 sq yd Also still have good selec tion of PLUSH CARPET Ours up to 799 sq yd Com in and see th new chief If Is for sale best offer 9 fix W4 I I a.

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