Muzzy emphasizes regional ‘branding’
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Observer photo/Mike Lange
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By Mike Lange
Staff Writer
GREENVILLE — In order for the Moosehead Lake region to attract new business, enhance its reputation as a prime tourist destination and convince families to move here, residents should look “back to the future” and beyond county borders.
That was part of the message conveyed by Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation Chairman Luke Muzzy at last week’s county commissioners meeting in Greenville.
MLREDC and the recently-formed Branding Initiative Committee have been working since last summer on finding a consistent theme to enhance the region’s economy.
Following a presentation and survey conducted earlier this year by Roger Brooks, a nationally-recognized branding consultant, the recommended description of Moosehead Lake is now “America’s Crown Jewel.”
But defining the Moosehead Lake region has been tricky at times, Muzzy said. For example, the area within a 20-mile radius of Greenville includes a lot of Somerset County. “Political boundaries can often get in the way of some pretty good plans,” Muzzy said, “and that can present some challenges.”
One example is Mount Kineo, which is located in Piscataquis County. But the most popular way to get to the mountain is by a shuttle based in Rockwood, an unorganized town in Somerset County.
Piscataquis and Somerset counties combined represent 25 percent of Maine’s land mass, Muzzy noted, and a lot of it is in conservation easement. “This gives us the opportunity to do some long-term planning,” he said.
Some areas that MLREDC noted that need improvement include access to broadband. “We often hear that businesses would locate here if they had high-speed Internet, and right now we just can’t provide that,” he said.
Downtown revitalization would also give the area a boost, he said, but it would take a great deal of time and successful federal and state grant applications.
Muzzy cited some of the major goals outlined by the branding initiative such as increasing the population of the area. “Twenty-five years ago, Greenville had 2,000 people,” Muzzy said. “Today, it has 1,550. But looking back, we had a lot more going for us. We had some manufacturing and our (school) class sizes were 45 to 5o instead of 15 to 20 today.” Attracting families in the 25 to 40 age group is also important, he added, to keep the school viable.
Extending the tourist season from four and five months to eight to 10 months “is also vital,” Muzzy said. “But we need to maintain our character. We don’t want to become another Bar Harbor or Lake Winnipesaukee. We want people to move here knowing there’s a future for them.”
Brooks’ formal “action plan” is due to be completed soon, Muzzy said. “It’s going to be very detailed. It tells you what you have to do, when you have to do it, how much it will cost and where to get the funding,” he said.
Muzzy also praised the Piscataquis County commissioners for “consistently supporting this region in a big way” and said he plans to meet with the Somerset County commissioners and make a similar presentation to them. “Our needs are very similar and collaboration is vital,” he said.
Commissioner Fred Trask said that he agreed that working with Somerset County is important in any marketing venture. “We’ll establish a relationship with the county commissioners over there and get something started,” Trask said.
Greenville Town Manager John Simko said that he’s eager to see the Brooks action plan, but noted that the success of the branding initiative will require a significant public and private investment. “That won’t happen overnight,” Simko said. “We need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and be willing to put money on the table.”