Starting any kind of business is never easy. You truly don’t know what you don’t know.
I see people in the store and out of the store and many of them ask the same question. “How are you doing?”
I say “Good”
And then they ask. “How are you really doing?”
I presume this is because we opened during a pandemic, at the beginning of winter (not an ideal time to open a building supply store), in a Town that is notorious for being business un-sympathetic.
But it also might be because they like who we are, and they like our mission and they like the goods that we provide.
Or maybe because they are tired of their Town being dominated by realtors, dentists, empty lots and future apartment buildings and they believe we might be a litmus test for something new, a new kind of energy.
The best answer I can give is that we are doing great!
We have been recognized by Maine Forestry and the UMaine system as being a key and unrepresented component of the Maine Forest economy, we’re featured in over a dozen publications locally and nationally, have created economic opportunities for small mills and small towns throughout Maine, we have created awareness of the importance of buying local wood, improved the lives of local carpenters and homeowners by providing accessible, high quality and affordable building materials, provide employment for my son who has a disability, provide revenue for a myriad of interrelated businesses, we have met so many wonderful people and YES, our bills are getting paid…not on time of course.
We are working a lot of hours and are constantly stressed about finances but that is part of the story arc. And one day when we are featured on How I Built This with Guy Raz we can tell him our story because it is a story. It is a classic story of 4 individuals turning an idea into a reality and the trials and tribulations along the way. This is what life is and we are embracing and mostly enjoying every little moment.
