A major lumber operation in the small town of Portage, Maine is getting a significant upgrade. In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) implementation grant program awarded $300,000 to Maine Woods Company, enabling it to install an energy-efficient steam turbine and warehouse-heating system. This funding represents a strategic investment in one of Maine’s core industries, supporting economic growth and environmental goals.
The grant will allow Maine Woods Company to reduce its overall energy footprint while maintaining its production capacity of 18 million board feet of lumber annually. The company is an affiliate of Seven Islands Land Company, which manages nearly 1 million acres of Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative-certified forest in Northern Maine; meaning they meet rigorous environmental standards. It has been a cornerstone of the region’s economy since the Pingree Family began operations in 1841, less than a decade after Maine became a state.
“Modernizing technology in Maine’s lumber industry is critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of an industry that is central to both Maine’s economy and heritage. I am pleased that the Maine Woods Company will be able to enhance its operations with this funding,” said Senator Susan Collins.
The federal funding for the IAC grant program comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Senator Collins was part of a group of ten core Senators to negotiate the text of the law. The program now seeks to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers upgrade their facilities with better energy and material efficiency, enhanced cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing technologies that simultaneously enhance productivity while tackling pollution and waste.
Senator Angus King added, “Maine’s forest products industry has always welcomed innovations to make their work stronger and more efficient. This new grant funding will empower Maine Woods Company to modernize its operations and produce lumber in a cleaner way. I am proud to support Maine’s small forest products businesses that are working diligently to update their operations and infrastructure and write a new chapter in their long-term success stories.”
Maine Woods Company is part of a family of businesses that includes a hardwood chipping facility, Portage Wood Products, and hardwood flooring manufacturer MooseWood Millworks, all within 12 miles of each other and offer varying degrees of support. For example, Maine Woods Company supplies lumber to MooseWood to turn into flooring. All three facilities are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Video Courtesy Maine Woods Company
The company is not new to environmental initiatives. In 1990, the Pingree family donated more than 5,000 acres to the Nature Conservancy to add to the Big Reed Forest Reserve, and in 2001, they introduced a conservation easement that protects 80 percent of the forest from development.
All the while, it has been focused on ever-increasing productivity. The new steam turbine system in particular builds on the company’s earlier energy efficiency initiatives, which included compressors that previously earned a $43,000 state rebate for electrical savings.
The latest investment addresses a significant challenge for traditional industries like lumber production: balancing economic competitiveness with modern environmental standards. Maine Woods Company exemplifies how established industries can evolve with changing markets and expectations by embracing more efficient energy systems. The company will leverage new technologies to create jobs while reducing their environmental impact, representing the balanced approach that benefits Maine’s economy and environment.
Photo Courtesy Maine Woods Company LLC
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