Maine’s Composite
Industry — On the Cutting Edge
Governor John E. Baldacci talked to
students at the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center (AEWC) at the University of
Maine at Orono. The center has made breakthroughs in composite technologies that are
creating high-paying jobs in Maine industries.
President John F. Kennedy said, “A rising
tide reaches all boats.” John E. Baldacci has created a rising economic tide for
Maine with his initiatives that bring together diverse groups in industry, education, the
state, and businesses, with research and development (R&D).
The governor’s bond referendums have
increased funding for R&D which has led to innovations in Maine that are positioning
manufacturers in the global knowledge-based economy. A prime example of the
governor’s collaborative efforts can be seen with Maine’s composites industry.
They are poised for growth with cutting-edge
technologies developed at the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center (AEWC),
University of Maine at Orono.
The potential for composites in industry is
great. Houses are being built that can withstand hurricane force winds and earthquakes.
Their resiliency, flexibility, and light weight make composites desirable in a multitude
of applications, including boatbuilding, aerospace, designing race cars, body armor for
the military, and shelter for military operations.
“With the number of applications for
advanced composites increasing every day, a huge window of opportunity has opened for our
innovative Maine entrepreneurs,” said Governor Baldacci.
“In this highly technological world, one
of the best ways to grow jobs and the economy is to invest in research and development,
and graduate education. More than at any time in our history, it is truly a technological
race out there for companies to stay in business. The companies with abilities to innovate
quickly are those who will grow and create jobs,” said the director of AEWC, Habib
Dagher. “The AEWC Center is not just about helping existing companies grow; it’s
about training world-class graduate and undergraduate students, so that they can become
the drivers for Maine’s innovation economy. Every year 100 students from 15 different
academic departments are paid here to work on R&D projects that industry wants to
solve. At any one time we have over 50 projects underway and 100 clients around the
world.”
“Boatbuilding has been a part
of Maine’s heritage before we were a state. We were cutting logs for the Queen’s
navy. This is something that Maine has continually had as part of its history. Something
we’ve been very successful at. You’re the future of the boatbuilding
industry,” said Governor Baldacci talking to students of the boatbuilding Landing
School where there will be new composites courses next fall.
AEWC assisted Harbor Technologies founder and
composites innovator Martin Grimnes in developing his first prototype dock and a new
composite piling design. Harbor Technologies is a company that proves how important
R&D funding is to Maine. This growing company uses cutting-edge technologies that have
emerged because of R&D breakthroughs in Maine. Their new composite piling designs were
launched this year. Currently, Saudi Arabia is considering a bid from Harbor Technologies
to build an island offshore.
Last summer Harbor Technologies relocated to a
10,000-square-foot building in the Brunswick Industrial Park. The company employs six
people and has plans for expansion, including a two- to three-million-dollar investment in
equipment and the creation of a least 40 jobs.
Grimnes founded Harbor Technologies in 2003 in
a small barn and sold his first composite dock system in 2004. It all started with his
idea to design docks that would not rot or pollute. As a sailor he was always perplexed
witnessing docks decaying year by year. Using new composite technologies, he designed
docks made from fiberglass and resin that are approximately one-third the weight of
similar-sized wooden docks, and they last 30 years longer than their wooden counterparts.
When Grimnes needed financial support, he
approached the state for help. Construction of the $1 million Harbor Technologies
building, owned by Brunswick Economic Development Corporation, was supported in part by a
$400,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded to Brunswick through Maine’s
Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), and he received funding from the
Maine Technology Institute. MTI’s mission is to encourage and promote R&D in
technology-driven industries to create jobs.
“Harbor Technologies has found its niche
in an emerging market, and I hope many more local companies are able to successfully
follow suit,” said Governor Baldacci.
“We intend to become the overall answer
to all marine waterfront challenges, from rust and rot to environmental concerns,”
said Grimnes. “Composite solutions will enable us to capitalize upon these issues.
Thanks to the steadfast support we have received from the state, the federal government,
and the town of Brunswick, we are on the fast track to growth and profitability.”
Martin Grimnes is the owner of a
composite business — Harbor Technologies — and founder of the Maine Composites
Alliance. He explained to the governor how his company is using the new technology.
“Thanks to the steadfast support we have received from the state, federal government,
and the town of Brunswick we are on the fast track to growth and profitability,” said
Grimnes.
Grimnes is also the founder of the Maine
Composites Alliance and helped write the $15 million grant the state received that will
help the boatbuilding and composite industries. Approximately 90 percent of Maine boat
builders utilize composite technologies in their work.
“Boat builders and the composites
industry share a common interest: Both groups can reap significant economic benefits from
the advancement of composites technology,” said Steve Von Vogt, chairman of MBB and
president/CEO of Maine Marine Manufacturing.
The AEWC Center also assisted Tim Hodgdon of
Hodgdon’s Yachts. “In boatbuilding you always have to be pushing the envelope to
keep viable,” said Hodgdon. “For three years we used another facility to test
our boats, then we switched over to the University of Maine. Our partnership with the
university has led us to new contracts and the use of new technologies that make us
competitive in the global economy. The governor and his team have been tremendous
supporting our efforts.”
Stephen Von Vogt, who works for
Hodgdon Yachts and runs Maine Marine Manufacturing, listens along with Governor John E.
Baldacci as Dr. Robert Lindyburg of UMaine R&D composites lab explains the composites
technology being used at Hodgdon Yachts.
With the support of the DECD and MTI, Tim
Hodgdon was able to secure a $1 million contract in 2004 to design a prototype
composite-based hull for the Navy. In 2005 they received a second contract to start
construction of a new Navy Mark V boat. The old boats that have been used to deliver the
elite strike Navy Seal teams have caused damage to the teams’ health, because the
hulls couldn’t absorb the shock traveling at the required speeds. The new
composite-designed craft takes the impact from hitting the waves, instead of the Navy
Seals.
“At first they didn’t think
composites could do the job. But when I showed them what was possible, they soon changed
their minds,” said Van Vogt, who also works for Hodgdon, and was key in obtaining the
Navy contract.
“This technology represents what the
Maine boatbuilding industry is capable of. The state is a world leader in maritime
composite technology, and we’ve got four centuries of shipbuilding experience behind
us,” said Jack Cashman, commissioner of the DECD.
Instructor Rick Barkhuff talked with
the governor, Berry Acke and his students at the Landing School. “Right now we are
the only hands-on boatbuilding school backed up by intensive instruction. Add composites
to the mix, and we will be at the cutting edge of the boatbuilding industry,” said
Barkhuff.
The Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design
in Kennebunkport understands the potential that composites can bring to Maine’s
economy. “Once a student is trained in the basics, the job market of opportunities is
vast,” said Berry Acke who started the Landing School in 1978. “Composites are
applicable across the economy. Really good careers with high-paying wages are available
around the world, once students are trained in composite technologies. Maine is the
perfect place to move this forward.”
In September of 2007 the school will have a
two-stage composites course that is being funded by part of the $15 million grant the
state won because of the governor’s initiative.
The school has ten-month programs where
students learn boatbuilding; by the end of their program they have built a boat. Eric
Valliere, a student, praised the school: “It has a great systems program,
maintenance, installation, and repair program.” Valliere had previously worked in
metal trades manufacturing for 22 years. One morning he found himself unexpectedly laid
off. “With boats, they will always need maintenance, and there will always be boat
owners wanting to pay for them. This training is giving me a new, reliable future.”
Instructor Rick Barkhuff said that adding the
composite courses to the school will make it unique. “Right now we are the only
hands-on boatbuilding school backed up by intensive instruction. Add composites to the
mix, and will be at the cutting edge of the boatbuilding industry.”
Soon the school will be sending out advisory
teams to boatyards around the world to show them how to streamline their businesses and
incorporate the new composite technologies. Graduates are as far away as New Zealand,
working in the boat industry, and as close to home as Hodgdon’s and Lyman-Morse
Yachts. Graduates are almost guaranteed positions in the industry because the demand is so
great. With composites that demand only grows.
“Knowledge is power; these students are
the incarnation of hardworking individuals, dedicated and determined to put out a
high-quality product. They are here because they want to be here—that makes all the
difference,” said instructor Steve Dalzell. “The composite course will open the
door for even more opportunities for our students.”
“The growth of our research and
development capability is crucial for our state to compete on a national and global
level,” said Governor Baldacci. “The ripple effect of what could happen in Maine
with the composite industry should not be underestimated. The collaboration between
industry, educational institutions, and government is working to position Maine for growth
in the industry.”
One of the craftsmen of Morris
Yachts in conversation with Governor Baldacci during a tour of the Trenton boatyard:
“Ever since I was young I wanted to work on boats; it’s a family
tradition.” |
