The state has said Wiscasset can seek an Economic Community Development Block Grant on behalf of Zero Energy Homes. "We're excited about the prospect of supporting new jobs," Wiscasset Economic Development Director Aaron Chrostowsky said in a phone interview July 21. Chrostowsky has been working with ZEH on the grant try. 

ZEH has subleased the Route 27 building Allen “Big Al” Cohen leases to Knickerbocker Group, Cohen confirmed July 21. 

“From what I've seen, they seem to be very innovative,” Cohen told Wiscasset Newspaper about ZEH. “I'd love to see them succeed … They’re doing things in a very unique fashion.”

When it is at "full manufacturing capacity" over a couple of years, ZEH expects there to be 40 workers at the plant, Vice President of Business Development Amy Fisher said.

"For hiring this fall specifically, we plan to hire four carpenters, along with a handful of other positions," said spokesman Mattie John Bamman. In an interview July 21 and a same-day press release, Bamman said the plant is aimed at producing 50 solar-powered, thermally enveloped homes a year. Bamman told Wiscasset Newspaper, ZEH is seeking a modular manufacturer's license from the state. "That's the big item that we're all focused on right now. And we could potentially have our first modular build in September ..." But ZEH doesn't need that license to build panelized homes, he said.

Plans call for ZEH to set a panelized one in Westport Island for Wyatt and Alida Peterson this month. The release said, with ZEH, the Petersons found what they wanted in affordability and green ethics.

Why Wiscasset for a plant? ZEH searched statewide for a place to build or lease, Bamman said. "And when we found the one in Wiscasset, it was really great to be able to partner with Knickerbocker on one modular build (for a home set in Trenton last December) just to see how the facility operated. And it has pretty much everything we need at this stage to get it up and running to about 50 houses a year ... It's already outfitted for the type of work we're doing. We didn't have a lot of major updates to the facility. We didn't have to buy a lot of equipment. 

"And also, it's really centrally located for where a lot of our customers are based ... We serve the whole state, but a lot of our customers are from the Midcoast and Southern Maine," Bamman added. 

July 21, Town Manager Dennis Simmons noted to selectmen a July 13 letter from Maine's community development office, part of the Department of Economic and Community Development. The letter from the office's director, Deborah Johnson, said the town, on behalf of ZEH, has met the requirements to apply for a grant.

"Excellent," Selectmen's Chair Alissa Eason said. "(That) is good news."

The letter said to have the application in by Oct. 2. 

ZEH launched in August 2025, Bamman said. "Our partner Maker Construction built four (homes) using the off-site panelization process in Hebron, using designs from our partner BrightBuilt Home. The panelization process essentially replicates modular construction by building the homes off-site in panels. The panels are then shipped to the home site and assembled and weatherized in a matter of hours. We have built panelized homes in Searsport, Harborside and Gorham, and the Westport Island home was also built in panels," Bamman said when fielding more questions July 22.

He said ZEH converted from an LLC to a worker-owned cooperative in December 2025. Bamman, Fisher, President Caroline Pryor and Vice President of Operations Steve Eaton are the founding worker-owners, Bamman said.

"We are a stand-alone corporation but maintain membership to the Cooperative Maine Business Alliance and U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Being a worker-owned company aligns with our mission to serve Maine communities and improve rural economic development. We are committed to creating good jobs for Mainers and keeping more money circulating in local communities."

Selectmen nodded ZEH's business license June 16, according to Wiscasset Newspaper files. And no planning board nod is needed because there is no change of use there, Code Enforcement Officer George Chase said July 22. He and Bamman said signage is still to be finalized.