AUBURN – The Gendron construction family has a “Field of Dreams” style business philosophy that has served it well for 35 years.

Build it and they will come.

Then repeat.

It’s a format that Gendron & Gendron used to develop and fill the Gendron Business Park in Lewiston in less than two years. They are pursuing it again, this time with the area’s newest industrial park.

Gendron & Gendron just purchased the first lot in the Auburn Industrial Park, a 22-acre parcel that is expected to house a 300,000-square-foot distribution warehouse, 80,000-square-foot office building and 1,200 feet of rail.

“This is a major advantage that we’ll have with Gendron on board,” said Dan Thayer, president of the Auburn Business Development Corp., which launched the industrial park two years ago. He said that Gendron’s willingness to build on spec, then look for a tenant, means a constant supply of available property to lease.

“We’ll always have vacant inventory, readily available,” said Thayer. “It’s a big difference, to have that space ready, when someone is looking at industrial development.”

The area’s newest industrial park – its sixth – spans 78 acres, with access to St. Lawrence and Atlantic rail, the Auburn-Lewiston airport and Exit 75 of the turnpike. It’s located on Kittyhawk Avenue, across from Flight Line Drive. It also holds the double inducement of tax breaks as a Pine Tree Zone and a Foreign Trade Zone. The first lot will be developed in phases, with a ground-breaking planned for today at 10 a.m.

Although often overshadowed by the excitement of new retail announcements, industrial development delivers at least twice the economic bang for the buck. Lucien Gosselin, executive director of the local growth council, said wealth is created by cash flow, and the manufacturing sector is tops at that.

“In general, if you get your industrial/heavy commercial projects up, they are the big multipliers,” he said. “They tend to be more stable, tend to be more labor-intensive, they use local goods and services, and if they export their goods, then cash comes in.”

The ABDC, the growth council and economic developers from both cities have been trying to promote the Twin Cities as a transportation and logistics hub. Last year, Bisson Transportation from West Bath announced it would be the first tenant at the new park. But there were significant regulatory delays in getting the park approved. Bisson backed out, leaving the ABDC looking for another developer of the property.

“This is actually a better deal for us because there are fewer contingencies,” said Thayer, noting that Bisson was looking for a lease agreement with prospective tenants before any construction began. “Gendron has got the capacity to step up and do it. It’s favorable to both parties.”

For John Gendron, it’s simply another project that makes sense for his family’s company.

“We’re just trying to build things that will bring people to the community,” he said. “It needs to be done and we have the resources.”

Because the company does its own site and construction work, it can afford to develop property cheaper than others. That gives it the freedom to build on spec, something most developers won’t risk because of escalating construction costs and wavering real estate markets.

“We build on spec because who wants to wait six or eight months for a building?” he asked. “We can do it for cost because we’re the contractor.”

He said he expects to break ground on the Auburn Industrial Park lot in August. The company is also planning a 62-acre, second phase of its Gendron Business Park in Lewiston. He knows there’s a need for it.

“How do I know?” he asked. “We don’t have anything empty. I know there’s a demand for more buildings.”