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The Loring Commerce Centre is an industrial and aviation park in northeastern
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, located in Aroostook County near
Limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
. Developed from the former
Loring Air Force Base Loring Air Force Base was a United States Air Force installation in northeastern Maine, near Limestone and Caribou in Aroostook County. It was one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command during its existence, and was ...
which closed in 1994, it is home to over 20 employers with more than 1,300 employees. The center consists of over of fully serviced commercial, industrial, and aviation development sites in addition to numerous existing modern and practical buildings in a spacious, campus-like setting. The former airfield is operated as Loring International Airport.


History

The centre was chartered by Maine State legislature in 1993 a
the Loring Development Authority of Maine
as a body corporate and politic and a public instrumentality of the state, and as

It is the first in a series of municipal corporations chartered by The Maine legislature in special acts of legislation to serve as "instrumentalities of the state" when military bases located in Maine were closed. Following in the same model i

On the site of the base, the Loring Development Authority created the Loring Commerce Centre on of land. It was marketed as an "...excellent solution for your business real estate needs at a very reasonable cost." Through the efforts of the authority, 1,400 jobs have been created, more than replacing the 1,000 civilian jobs that were lost when the base closed. Tenants such as Bigelow Aerospace maintained a small satellite tracking station on the grounds as well. SAIC is developing an uncrewed blimp at the base as well, and Sitel also maintains a call center at Loring. In addition to the Sitel site, other various call centers exist on the base, as well as food processing, forestry operations, light manufacturing, and aviation services. The
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
professional services company Stantec also has an office at Loring. Finally, the Loring Air Museum, a museum dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the base, is located in the base's former bank. The military has also made a return to Loring over the years. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service Limestone, a major component of the
Defense Finance and Accounting Service The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense (DOD), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The DFAS was established in 1991 under the authority, direction, and control of the Under S ...
office consolidated 26 offices into 5 and this was one of the consolidation points. This facility is located in the old base hospital, which was constructed after the earthquake in the 1980s. The Maine Military Authority refurbished
Humvee The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...
s for the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
and Marine Corps in partnership with Loring Industries inside one of the base's large hangars until the contract ran out. Additionally, the Air Force Real Property Agency is in the process of conducting the distribution of resources at Loring. The federal government has also returned with the
United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemp ...
creating a Job Corps center, with the aim of helping to prepare teenagers for careers in culinary arts, medical support and other growth industries. As of 2002, the Air Force Real Property Agency considered Loring to be one of its recent success stories. Post-base usage is not limited to just business. The airfield was used by the popular jam-band
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...
to hold its massive festival concerts: " The Great Went" in 1997, the Lemonwheel in 1998 and " It" in 2003. Estimated attendance was 65,000 concert-goers, and Phish was the only band. Fans camped on-site in tents, creating a community of fans that became the second-largest city in Maine during all three events. The Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, run by the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a List of federal agencies in the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, ...
on of the base property was established in 1998. The refuge consists of the former weapons area, which operated as Caribou Air Force Station from 1951 until 1962, when it was absorbed into Loring.


Runway and control tower

The runway has become home to land-speed racing events, where participants use its runway for timing trials. In recent years Loring's runway has been home to speed venues such as the Loring Timing Association, the Cumberland Motor Club and the National Speed Shootout. In July 2011 Bill Warner of Wimauma, Florida, driving a turbocharged Suzuki motorcycle, set a new world record of 311.945 miles per hour. Warner was killed in a crash on the runway in July 2013. Loring's air traffic control tower remains standing, but was closed following the closure of Loring AFB. However, the airfield's navigational aids such as the VOR/DME and ILS remain operational. Additionally, the airfield is now operated by the Commerce Centre as Loring International Airport.


Tenants

Users of the facility include: * US Fish & Wildlife Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge - administers of the base property * Bigelow Aerospace * British Cycle Supply Company * Bunker Inn * DFAS Limestone, one of the five offices of the
Defense Finance and Accounting Service The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense (DOD), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The DFAS was established in 1991 under the authority, direction, and control of the Under S ...
* Frontier Transport * Inland Winds Housing * Lattice Technology Group, Inc. * Limestone Country Club * Loring Development Authority of Maine * Loring Industries, LLC * Loring Air Museum * D.R. MacDonald Enterprises, Inc. * SFE Manufacturing, Inc. * TRP Trucking Parts * US Department of Labor Loring Job Corps Center, Inc. In November 2022, DG Fuels signed a long-term lease for 1,240 acres of land that is a part of the former base. DG is planning to break ground on a $4 billion sustainable aviation fuel facility in the summer of 2024, with an expected facility completion in 2027. The Loring Development Authority recognizes the need for protection of its infrastructure and tenants.


See also

* Loring International Airport *
Loring Air Force Base Loring Air Force Base was a United States Air Force installation in northeastern Maine, near Limestone and Caribou in Aroostook County. It was one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command during its existence, and was ...


References


External links

* {{coord, 46.94, -67.9, type:event, display=title Buildings and structures in Aroostook County, Maine Limestone, Maine Loring Air Force Base Economy of Aroostook County, Maine