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V O L . X X I V N O. X I V J U LY 9 , 2 0 1 8 16 F O C U S S O U T H E R N M A I N E of the Manufacturers Association of Maine. " e issue is that nobody knows what the fallout will be." Martin says association members are in touch with Maine congressional delegation regarding impacts. Merrill, too, has been voicing his concerns to the delegation and with the LePage administration. He adds that price increases on both domestic and Canadian steel will create an advantage for foreign seating manufacturers. If the situation persists, he says, "It will have an impact on our bottom line, in terms of our ability to invest in continued growth. We're proud to be a family-owned company and we're very grateful for the support of the family. But the other side is that our profi ts are our only reinvestment tool. " Plows to bleachers With six generations, Hussey's lon- gevity as a family operation is fairly unique, says Martin. "A lot of companies are family-run, but maybe two or three generations," she says. And that's usually in sectors, like boatbuilding and textiles, deeply rooted in Maine's history, she says. "A nice twist is that people think of them as old, but they've become modern in terms of their manufacturing processes." at's true at Hussey, whose roots go back to 1835, when North Berwick farmer William Hussey designed a more-effi cient plow blade. His grand- sons focused on steel products like fi re escapes, bridge supports and ski lifts. "Go into the Old Port in Portland and you'll see wrought iron fi re escapes made by Hussey Manufacturing," says Merrill. In 1931, Philip Hussey Sr. invented a portable bleacher for outdoor use, then adapted the design for indoor telescopic gym seating when the 1950s baby boom escalated new school and gymnasium construction. Numerous developments in design, engineering, materials and process since occurred. at kind of ongoing entrepreneur- ship is an attribute common among long-time family-owned businesses, says Catherine Wygant Fossett, executive director of the Institute for Family- Owned Business in Portland. "Hussey Seating is the perfect exam- ple, going from plows to fi re escapes to seats at Gillette Stadium," she says. "Everyone thinks 'entrepreneurship' means 'new people' or 'new companies.' But a lot of times, what keeps a fam- ily business going is entrepreneurship within the business." » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E " We are so thankful for FAME's support—they have been incredibly easy to work with, and we appreciate all they do to help stimulate the local economy and keep employment in the state." Casey Prentice General Manager, CHEBEAGUE ISLAND INN yes ! HELPING YOU GET TO Helping Maine Businesses Succeed Since 1983 1-800-228-3734 • FAMEmaine.com Best Places to Work in Maine 2015, 2016, 2017

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