Kestrel Aircraft Co. may not have to move part of the work force it plans in Brunswick to a site in New Hampshire, a company spokeswoman and Maine’s top economic development official said Thursday.

Media reports quoted Kestrel’s Chief Executive Officer Alan Klapmeier as saying that some of the 300 jobs he plans to create in Brunswick might have to be moved to Berlin because of project financing issues.

But on Thursday, George Gervais, Maine’s economic and community development commissioner, said there may be a way to keep Kestrel entirely in Brunswick.

In July 2010, the company announced that it would develop a composite-airplane manufacturing plant in Brunswick. The $100 million project called for about 300 new jobs. Workers in Brunswick would build airplane parts and assemble the turboprop engine planes, designed for as many as eight passengers.

Company spokeswoman Kate Dougherty said Thursday that the project was heavily reliant on federal tax credits.

The New Market Tax Credit program would have given Kestrel $39 million in tax credits. But so far, Kestrel has received only $7.8 million in tax credits, and learned recently that there are no guarantees that more credits will be coming in the future.

“We’d love to do all of this in Maine, but we may have to do pieces (of the manufacturing) in other locations,” Dougherty said.

Berlin is attractive because the location is eligible for New Market Tax Credits, Dougherty said. It is more rural than Brunswick, so Kestrel would stand a better chance of getting the tax credits.

The New Market program is designed to bring jobs and investment to low-income or distressed areas.

Gervais met Thursday in Augusta with Steve Levesque, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which is redeveloping the former Brunswick Naval Air Station — now named Brunswick Landing.

“We’ve identified a potential source of funding,” Gervais said. “If we can solve this, it could fill the void they are facing.”

Gervais declined to be more specific but said he expects to make an announcement next week.

Klapmeier, who was traveling Thursday, could not be reached.

Dougherty confirmed that Kestrel is considering moving part of its Brunswick work force to a development site in Berlin.

She acknowledged that Maine is doing everything it can to find a funding solution. “Everything is in a state of flux right now. It is absolutely a very dynamic situation,” she said.

Dougherty said no final decisions have been made, and Kestrel could very well decide to keep its airplane manufacturing operation in Brunswick.

Kestrel Aeroworks, the company’s tool maker and engineering arm, employs 25 at the base.

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted ats 791-6365 or at: dhoey@pressherald.com