MEXICO – Now that one incubated business housed in the River Valley Technology Center will soon move to Rumford, River Valley Growth Council directors at Wednesday night’s meeting discussed the need to grow both entrepreneurs and a work force.

Acting Director Diane Ray said the center is currently looking for another start-up business to move into space being vacated by Northwest Precision Inc.

That precision metals company, which is owned by Jon Cantin of Peru, moved in 2000 from Route 17 in Roxbury to the tech center. Within a few weeks, expanding Northwest Precision will move about a block away into the old Central Maine Power Co. building.

“It’s a huge success story for us,” growth council President Rich Allen said. “I flinched at the loss of monthly rent … but they met the mission of the tech center. Now, we just need to get another business in there.”

Small start-up businesses are grown at the tech center. Then, when successful, moved out into the River Valley community. The incubator provides shared services for new businesses, which cuts costs.

Without mentioning names, Ray said there is a company in Lewiston that is operating a precision metals business for another person and is currently negotiating to buy and move it into the tech center.

Conversations are also still ongoing to attract a call center into the building and other businesses.

“We’re looking for business-minded people looking for a new venture and, at the same point, we’re looking for investors,” Ray said.

The growth council – which runs the tech center – is also on the verge of kicking off a “Come Home to Western Maine” campaign, the purpose of which is to attract back to the River Valley people who left for one reason or another.

“It’s time to stop being so humble and tout our horn … and put a positive spin on who we are as a community,” Ray said.

One way to lure companies to the area is by providing a work force capable of meeting the demand.

Enter Region 9’s School of Applied Technology in Mexico, which, with help from Coastal Enterprises Inc. of Wiscasset, will soon introduce a WorkReady Credential Program. Its goal is to train a work force capable of better filling jobs when they become available.

Touting Lewiston’s WorkReady program, Ray said, “People coming through that program are very employable. Most people we’ve talked with are very thrilled about it. It’s a good way of making sure we have the right people.”

Mexico Director Barbara Laramee said Wednesday night she’d like to see more businesses in the area offering full-time jobs to keep Mexico’s work force in town.

“There are a large percentage in our area who are working two part-time jobs to make ends meet, and I think that a lot of them would go for one full-time job,” Laramee said. “There’s definitely been more and more traveling to Lewiston than in years past. They’re living here and traveling there, because that’s where the jobs are.”

Dixfield Director Bill DeVries asked Allen if anything had come of the tech center’s past explorations into growing wood products-related businesses.

“Anything’s available if an entrepreneur is willing to step up and run with it,” Allen said.

“We’re looking at green technology. I don’t think there’s any lack of ideas. There’s just a lack of people stepping up,” Ray said.