RUMFORD – Tenacious, persistent, visionary. And he won’t take no for an answer.

These were but a few of the descriptions of Joseph Derouche by state and local officials, friends and family, as the River Valley Technology Center was named for the hometown boy who was more responsible than anyone else for the facility’s development and opening.

“I’m so proud of him,” said his son, Daniel, 20. “I know from experience that he’s not home much because of his dedication to his work. This is a trophy for him.”

Derouche’s mother, Jeannette, said persistence was built into his character.

“He never gave up. He may have been last (in some high school sports), but he always finished. Whatever he wanted to do, he did it,” she said.

It was that persistence over a four- to five-year period that netted the state and federal funding, and local support, that resulted in the opening of the Joseph P. Derouche Advanced Technology Center on Thursday morning.

When making the presentation, Gov. John E. Baldacci attested to Derouche’s persistence. Derouche, he said, never failed to call whenever he needed help getting something done.

Although many people have been involved in the project over the years, Baldacci said Derouche’s commitment to the region has been key to the project’s success.

“You’ve done a magnificent job,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, with whom Derouche and others from the River Valley Growth Council and tech center have worked over the years, said Derouche has vision for the area.

“He has worked his heart and soul for this region and he doesn’t take no for an answer. He wants people to have an opportunity to stay in this area,” he said.

Derouche insisted that the facility was a collaborative effort.

“This is quite an honor, to know that it will be here. This gives me energy to go after more money, and I don’t take no for an answer. I believe in what I am doing, and in tomorrow’s jobs and our kids,” he said.

Mark Bolduc, the current chairman of the RVTC board, has a personal interest in the new tech center and the efforts Derouche has taken to provide economic potential for the River Valley.

Bolduc graduated from Mexico High School in 1980, one year after Derouche, left the area first to attend the University of Maine, then to Massachusetts for work. He returned to the area a few years later, and only recently bought Fitch Co., for which he had worked for many years. It employs 24 people in plants in Mexico, Gray and Bangor.

When he left, he said the area was on its way down, fed by an abundance of negative attitudes. And when he returned in 1988, he found that same negative energy until Derouche got involved.

“No one has made more of a difference than Joe. He changed that negative energy into positive energy. What a difference one person can make! There should be streets named for him. I’m so proud of what he has done for the area. If God can give us many more years of Joe’s efforts, we’ll be blessed,” he said.