Medical products company touts Brunswick facility

A Georgia-based medical products company is celebrating the official opening of its new manufacturing facility in Brunswick.

Economic and Community Development Commissioner George Gervais says Molnlycke Health Care’s $47 million facility in Brunswick will result in 40 new jobs by the end of 2013 and more jobs next year. When fully operational, the facility will produce wound care products for the U.S. market using foam produced at its Wiscasset plant.

Molnlycke’s new plant is at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, now called Brunswick Landing.

Ex-naval base touted at redevelopment forum

The ongoing redevelopment of the former Navy base in Brunswick will be the focus of a national base redevelopment forum that will be held in Portland and Brunswick this week.

The three-day-long Association of Defense Communities’ forum, which is expected to attract representatives from across the United States, is scheduled to begin Wednesday at noon at Portland’s Ocean Gateway. Participants will also be shuttled to the Brunswick base for a tour.

Steve Levesque, Executive Director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which is in the process of finding tenants for the Brunswick Naval Air Station, said the conference is an opportunity to showcase progress the MRRA has made as well as share some of its tips for success.

In the five years since the authority’s redevelopment plan was approved, the organization has been able to attract several high quality research and development companies. More than 330 new jobs have been created.

Consumer confidence index shows slight drop

Americans’ confidence in the economy fell slightly in September from August, as many became less optimistic about hiring and pay increases over the next six months.

The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index dropped to 79.7 in September. That’s down from August’s reading of 81.8.

The September reading was only slightly below June’s reading of 82.1, the highest in 51/2 years.

Mixed day for stocks as Dow falls, Nasdaq rises

The Dow Jones Industrial average fell 66.79 points to close at 15,334.59. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 4.42 points to 1,697.42. The Nasdaq composite edged up 2.97 points to 3,768.25.

U.S. benchmark oil for November delivery fell 46 cents to finish at $103.13 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Wholesale gasoline rose 4 cents to $2.66 per gallon. Natural gas lost 11 cents to $3.49 per 1,000 cubic feet. Heating oil was flat at $2.96 per gallon.

— From staff and news services

Copy the Story Link