June 14, 2013 — Shucks Maine Lobster wants to launch a new processing facility on Portland’s city-owned Maine State Pier, adding jobs and expanding the amount of lobster meat it processes and exports from the state.
The company, which is based in Richmond, is seeking to lease from the city roughly 19,000 square feet in the Portland Ocean Terminal, which is located on the Maine State Pier. The proposed lease would be for 15 years, with the option to expand in the future, according to a memo from Greg Mitchell, Portland’s economic development director, to the Portland City Council’s Housing and Community Development Committee.
The committee unanimously approved the company’s lease at a meeting Wednesday night, according to Nelle Hanig, business programs manager for the city. The full City Council is expected to vote on the lease at its meeting July 15, Hanig said.
If the company’s plans are approved, Shucks Maine Lobster would hire nine full-time and 60 part-time seasonal employees at its Portland location, according to John Hathaway, the company’s CEO. The company’s peak hiring season is from May until January, he said.
The cost to get the Portland facility up and running would be more than $2 million, including slightly more than $1 million to retrofit the space and another $1 million or so for the necessary equipment, Hathaway said.
Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News