The closure of the former Loring Air Force Base has brought significant change to the economic landscape of the County. The formation of the Loring Commerce Centre has resulted in a variety of new businesses locating to the former military installation.

The region is also served by the Northern Maine Development Commission. The NMDC provides a variety of services to businesses and residents to help promote sustainable business development and existing business retention to improve the "quality of life" of County residents. The NMDC provides small business counseling services, business finance services, and general business outreach services to businesses and organizations of all shapes and sizes.

Aroostook County can be divided into three distinct subregions: a northern, central, and southern region. Each of the three subregions is essentially self-contained; their communities with urban roles provide the necessary services and infrastructure for the residents and businesses of these economic centers and the extended communities that surround them.

The northern subregion (the St. John Valley) is a bilingual region, with a strong Acadian-French heritage. It includes the communities in the Fort Kent-Allagash, Madawaska, and Van Buren Labor Market Areas, along with the northern half of the vast Northwest Aroostook Unorganized Territory. The three largest towns, and the region's business centers, are Fort Kent (population 4,268), Madawaska (population 4,803) and Van Buren (population 3,045). The towns are located along the St. John River and US Route 1, adjacent to the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. The Trans-Canada Highway runs along the border on the Canadian side. The University of Maine at Fort Kent is located here, as well as a modern acute medical care facility, Northern Maine Medical Center, also located in Fort Kent. The largest employer in the subregion, as well as the entire district, is Fraser Paper, Ltd. in Madawaska, which employs over 1,100 people.

The central subregion is comprised of the Caribou-Presque Isle Labor Market Area, and includes the lower half of the Northwest Aroostook Unorganized Territory and twelve of the nineteen unorganized townships in Piscataquis County that are a part of the Northern Maine Economic Development District. It is the main potato growing region and business center of northern Maine, centering on the Presque Isle-Caribou-Fort Fairfield triangle. Presque Isle (population 10,550) and its neighboring city, Caribou (population 9,415) are the only two incorporated cities in the district. Post-secondary educational institutions include the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Northern Maine Technical College. Husson College of Bangor offers classes in business management and accounting in Caribou. The subregion has the two largest medical facilities in the region, Cary Medical Center in Caribou and The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) in Presque Isle. The two largest private sector employers in this subregion are McCain Foods, Inc., a food processing plant in Easton that employs 560; and Burrelle's Press Clipping Service in Presque Isle that employs about 450 people. The three largest wood products industries employ over 475 people. Currently, Loring Commerce Centre (formerly Loring Air Force Base) employs nearly 600 people, including those involved in the redevelopment and environmental remediation efforts on Loring. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service Center, employing 325 and the Loring Job Corps, employing 125, are Loring's major employers to date.

The southern subregion is comprised of the Houlton and the Patten-Island Falls Labor Market Areas. The Town of Houlton is Aroostook's shire town and the subregion's economic center, with a population of 6,613. Houlton is the oldest community in Aroostook County, and is rich in history. In the "Bloodless Aroostook War," a border dispute with Canada, Garrison Hill was the headquarters for American troops. Downtown, Market Street and Main Street is registered with the National Historic Preservation Commission as a Historic Business District, comprised of twenty-eight architecturally significant structures dating from 1885 to 1910. The Houlton Regional Hospital serves the health care needs of the southern subregion. The two largest private sector employers are the Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, a lumber and plywood mill in New Limerick (110 employees); and the Smith & Wesson Corporation, a manufacturer of handcuffs and guns (120 employees).

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last update August 12th, 1999