New Owners Seek Tenants for Factory

New Owners Seek Tenants for Factory

Michael Lori, at left, consults with Chris Thompson, operations manager for Green Mountain Wood Products, as the firm's equipment is moved into its new home at the former Ethan Allen plant in Randolph. (Herald photo / Robert Eddy)

Can a huge, under-utilized factory in small-town Vermont find a new life in the 21st century—even as manufacturing jobs head overseas in alarming numbers?

James Dwinell and Michael Lori are hoping the answer is "Yes." But the truth is, they’re a little worried.

Earlier this year, Randolph entrepreneur Dwinell bought the rambling Ethan Allen plant on Randolph’s Hull Street, with a plan to expand his East-Braintree-based companies, Green Mountain Wood Products and Nantucket Post Caps, into the plant.

Dwinell’s woodworking companies, however, need only about a third of the enormous 170,000-square-foot building. With an estimated annual overhead of more than $300,000 for the building, Dwinell needs other tenants to keep his business plan afloat.

Enter Michael Lori of Tunbridge, a retired manufacturing consultant, hired by Dwinell to make this plan work.

Lori has charged full-tilt into the project. He’s already secured several tenants and has several potential renters lined up.

Vermont Castings, which has rented 30,000 square feet for warehousing, is proving to be "a great partner," Lori said during a plant tour this week. Several other smaller businesses, including two other stove firms, a granola company, and a solar energy company have also moved in.

In order to spread the word about this opportunity—or problem—Lori has contacted just about every local, state and regional official involved in development issues that he can find.

Ribbon-cutting

Among the high-powered officials aware of the furniture plant’s new incarnation is Gov. Jim Douglas, invited by Lori to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the plant Wednesday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. The public is also invited.

Aware of neighbors’ trucking concerns, Lori has even begun to explore the feasibility of a new access for the plant, one that would keep trucks off Randolph Avenue.

But about 63,000 square feet of the plant remain empty, Lori noted this week, and winter heating bills will start rolling in before long. It took 130,000 gallons of fuel oil to heat the building last year.

Many in the town of Randolph, which is going through its second plant closure in two years, are rooting for Dwinell’s project. Among them is fellow businessman Jesse Sammis III.

New Use

Sammis has agreed to rent about 1200 square feet of the factory for a new business, "Vermont Ozventures," that he is launching with partner Brooke Burgee.

Burgee and Sammis say the space would be ideal for the business, which will offer "year-round indoor and outdoor programs," that range from art classes and exhibits, to hiking and biking trips, and wilderness safety training. An October 31 grand opening is already planned.

For his part, Michael Lori is delighted to see a new and non-traditional use for the factory offices.

But, there is a hitch.

Dwinell’s factory building sits in Randolph’s industrial zone, and like industrial zones most everywhere, it’s pretty restrictive.

Suitable uses, according to zoning regulations, include manufacturing, distributing, and related uses, such as warehousing, offices, contractor facilities, junkyards, and even, auto repair.

But non-industrial uses such as "Ozventures" are forbidden, notes Randolph Zoning Administrator Mardee Sanchez.

Historically, she noted, there have been very good reasons to keep industrial zones purely for industrial uses.

"Industrial uses are generally the more ‘obnoxious’ uses," Sanchez pointed out, "and you want to make sure that you have an area in town for them that will not disturb other uses."

Sanchez concedes that this line of reasoning may need some adjustment in the future, in the face plant closings and a significant loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. in recent years.

But a zoning administrator must follow the zoning bylaws. Sanchez advised Sammis and Burgee that Ozventures constituted a forbidden use at the plant. She also advised them that they could seek a use variance from the Randolph Development Review Board, an option the partners are pursuing.

Next Tuesday, Sept. 16, the DRB will hear a request from Vermont Ozventures and JD Properties (Dwinell’s real estate company) for a variance request and site plan review. The 7 p.m. hearing will be at the Gifford Medical Center Conference Room West.

The variance request seeks "conversion of manufacturing space into space for an art gallery, workshop/conference area, grand art studio, and wellness area."

"I certainly hope the town can add those types of uses to the building," Sammis commented last week.

"Those guys (Dwinell and Lori) need every help they can get to be successful," he added. "If they can get other businesses down there, so there is a combination of uses, I think it makes a lot of sense."

Sammis noted that the space Ozventures wants to move into was previously used as Ethan Allen office space.

Lori, who also hopes that the zoners can find a way to approve the Ozventures’ request, continues to court more traditionally industrial uses for the building, as well.

The plant is well suited for such.

Lori has had engineers inspect the building, and they have advised him that the infrastructure, such as electrical systems, is in top form.

"Ethan Allen did a superb job in the building—everything they did was first rate," Lori noted.

Additionally the building is environmentally controlled for temperature and humidity, has ample docking and loading space, and is equipped with venting systems. The plant has one section, Lori noted, that would be ideally suited for painting and finishing operations.

By Sandy Cooch