The contractor overseeing the construction of Presque Isle’s new $52 million airport terminal is suing an electrician it contracted to complete more than $5.5 million in work on the project.
In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday, A/Z Corp., a subsidiary of the Maine construction giant Cianbro, alleged that Sherman-based electrical contractor Matt Carr Electric completed only a small fraction of the work it was paid for and collected north of $719,000 before abandoning the project.
The lawsuit is the first public hiccup in the construction of the new terminal, which broke ground last year and is slated to be complete by Thanksgiving. It’s unclear if the alleged unfinished electrical work will delay the project or increase its total price tag. Airport Director Scott Wardwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The complaint names both the company and Matthew Carr, its owner. It accuses Carr of diverting funds for work on the terminal to “purposes other than the project,” leaving its own subcontractors and suppliers unpaid.
Reached briefly by phone Thursday, Carr said he was not aware of the lawsuit and is out of the state.
According to the complaint, A/Z Corp. contracted Matt Carr Electric to complete $5.5 million in electrical work in September 2025. A two-to-three person Carr Electric crew was on site for a day or two in early November, the complaint said, and installed a “limited quantity” of underground conduit, installed a temporary power pole, meter enclosure and 200-amp panel, delivered some conduit and floor boxes with incorrect covers.
The company then ceased all work and did not respond to “repeated” requests from A/Z Corp. for status updates, the lawsuit alleges.
Matt Carr Electric submitted its first application for payment in late November, representing that it had completed or would soon complete $799,023 in work, according to the complaint. A/Z Corp. paid out $719,120, accounting for that total minus retainage — money withheld until later stages of a contract.
A/Z Corp. terminated its contract with Matt Carr Electric in April. It alleges in the complaint that Carr “personally purchased several expensive, brand-new vehicles, including a motorcycle and a pick-up truck,” immediately after the termination.
The general contractor is seeking to recover $719,120, plus costs incurred to complete electric work through replacement subcontractors, which it said exceeded its budget by more than $1.3 million. A/Z Corp. is also seeking attorney’s fees, costs, overhead and profit, and interest.
Matt Carr Electric has not filed an answer in court. The company was administratively dissolved by the Maine Department of the Secretary of State in June after failing to submit its annual report, according to a state database. The distinction means that it cannot conduct business outside of what is necessary to pay debts and liquidate assets.
The attorney for A/Z Corp. declined to comment.
