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In the spring of 1995, Northern Maine Development Commission began a regional marketing communications program to retain existing business and to attract new investment to the region. Since the implementation of that program, a number of successful activities were completed.. Those initial successes serve as the basis for the current effort, known as the "OneAroostook Marketing Campaign."
The OneAroostook Marketing Campaign is administered by the OneAroostook Marketing Committee, which consists of a consortium of area businesses and organizations.
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OneAroostook Marketing Committee Members
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The St. John Valley Marketing Group
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Representing the Towns of Fort Kent, Madawaska, and Van Buren
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The Central Aroostook Business Attraction and Marketing Committee
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Representing the Cities of Presque Isle and Caribou, and the Towns of Ashland, Mapleton, Castle Hill, Chapman, Easton, Washburn, Westfield, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, and the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce
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The Upper Valley Economic Council
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Representing Patten, Stacyville, Mt. Chase and Sherman
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The Southern Aroostook Growth Council
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Representing Bridgewater, Monticello, Littleton, Moro, Merrill, Smyrna, Ludlow, Houlton, New Limerick, Dyer Brook, Oakfield, Island Falls, Linneus, Hodgdon, Amity, Weston, Bancroft, and Danforth
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Maine Potato Board
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Represents the interests of the potato industry
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Maine Public Service Company
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Investor owned utility company that provides electricity to northern Maine
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Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development
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Association of business leaders promoting economic development in northern Maine
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Northern Maine Development Commission
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Regional economic development organization
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Loring Development Authority
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The marketing committee represents a wide range of diverse interests from all areas of northern Maine. Working in cooperation with each other, the group promotes the region using a variety of strategies.
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Marketing Activities
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Industry Trade Shows
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Corporate visits and prospecting trips
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International Marketing
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Northern Maine's available and affordable labor force and affordable commercial and industrial real estate gives the region a substantial competitive advantage in attracting businesses for expansion and relocation. OneAroostook's marketing efforts will highlight these and other advantages of doing business in Aroostook County to targeted areas and industry sectors. In particular, emphasis will continue to be placed on marketing efforts in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces of Canada because of their geographic proximity and cultural and economic similarities to the region.
Industry sectors targeted for business attraction efforts are those that will make the best use of northern Maine's natural, human, and financial resources. Those include:
- Value-added wood products,
- Specialty agriculture,
- Precision metals manufacturing, and
- Telecommunications-based industries.
OneAroostook will also be adding an important new dimension to those efforts: "cluster marketing." By meeting with major industry representatives within each sector, growth opportunities that may exist with product or service suppliers can be better defined and will help lead to long term growth and sustainability of the dominant company or business sector.
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