BELFAST, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --- Gov. Paul LePage was in Belfast on Friday to tour operations at one of the city's fastest growing businesses.
'Front Street Shipyard' opened on the Belfast Waterfront last year. Since then it has grown to employ more than 80 workers and has serviced dozens of boats from around New England. 'Front Street' has also been manufacturing smaller boats and storing many during the winter.
The business has now signed an agreement to buy the Belfast Boatyard next to it. Directors at 'Front Street' say that will create more space for storage and lead to the addition of even more jobs. During his visit, the governor said he was impressed with the facility but considered the workforce to be its best feature.
"It's a young workforce," LePage said, "and that is something that we need here in Maine to provide good quality jobs for our young people."
"Whether they're young or middle...however it works...there's a lot of application and systems involved in building boats and manufacturing boats and refiting boats," said J.B. Turner, who is the president of 'Front Street,' "it's a very complex process so people that understand that process are worth training."
Directors at 'Front Street' are hoping to close on their new purchase by the fall.
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