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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 27 O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 3 F O C U S FA M I LY - OW N E D B U S I N E S S How Pieceworks works with clients One client is Southport-based Hüga Heat, which sells battery-powered heated seat cushions. e product was created by a couple, Jocelyn Olsen and Colin Greig, in the early days of COVID-19, when outdoor dining and socializing became part of the limited social gathering taking place. Olsen and Greig realized there were few cushions on the market that could stand up to the outdoor conditions. ey tested and prototyped cushions that they felt could handle daily outdoor use. e developed a cushion that could be wiped down with sanitizer and still look and feel good, go strong for many seasons and for many hours. To provide warmth, the cushion was outfitted with a battery that could run for 10 hours, even on the high setting in low temperatures. It also seemed like a marketable product for outdoor sporting events, but also hockey games — which are even chilly indoors. e name Hüga comes from the Danish term "hygge" (pronounced hyoo-ga) which means creating a warm atmosphere and slowing down to enjoy the good things in life with good people. "For the first two years in business, I was hand-stuffing every cushion we sold," says Olsen. "It required a huge invest- ment of time that I couldn't dedicate to managing and growing the business, not to mention the tennis elbow that was starting to flare up. One of our company's founding tenets was that we want to rein- vest our spending in the Maine economy whenever possible, so we searched for a contract manufacturer in Maine instead, which is how we found Pieceworks. "With some experimentation, [Pieceworks was] able to find a better way to stuff the cushions that do not strain their team's arms and hands and is sig- nificantly more efficient than the way we were doing it," adds Olsen. "Taking that fresh perspective and listening to what matters to us allowed them to evolve our process in a way that works for all of us." Name badges Initial is Inc. is a Bangor-based company that manufactures retractable ID badge reels and keychains with over 400 designs. Its customers are primarily shops that sell health care worker scrubs. Owners Jack and Lisa McDonald have been working with Pieceworks for almost a decade. In 2014, Jack McDonald contacted Roberts about contracting out the manufacturing part of his business to Pieceworks. In a call, Roberts said she was about to leave for vacation. McDonald told her that he would be up there in three days and urgently packed everything for a move to Maine. is is like many businesses around the state that are having difficulty find- ing and training employees. McDonald said that recruiting takes time away from focusing on the business itself. "is is a situation where [Pieceworks] would be dealing with the employees," says McDonald. "Hiring someone isn't easy. Having employees oversee manufacturing would build up a lot of my time and having to find employees means I would have less time to build the business." McDonald says Pieceworks takes the same approach to sourcing. "Every piece of the product is 100% made at Pieceworks. Products are sourced from U.S. brands. Roberts and her employees put the pieces and prints together. ey have all of our printers and equipment," he says. What's next While Pieceworks is still very much a small business, Roberts says she is eager to expand the business and take on more clients, with limits. "I have people asking for work all the time, but I am not looking to hire more people at this time," says Roberts. "I am not looking to have 50 employees." "I would hire more to accom- modate more work, which is what I am interested in," she adds. "If I doubled, that would be excit- ing. ere is a comfortable point of gradually increasing, and I see the need now after the history I've had. Manufacturing is so widespread in so many different areas. People talk more now than ever of bringing manufacturing back to this country or back to Maine." Alexis Wells, Mainebiz staff writer, can be reached at awells @ mainebiz.biz Leave your mark on the world. Make an impression before your clients even walk in the door. Welch Sign is Maine's premiere full-service sign vendor. Start your design at welchsign.com. Manufacturing is so widespread in so many different areas. People talk more now than ever of bringing manufacturing back to this country or back to Maine. — Cathy Roberts Pieceworks

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