Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X V I 48 FA C T BO O K / D O I N G B U S I N E S S I N M A I N E C E O I N T E RV I E W Mainebiz: What are the advantages of doing business in Maine, and more specifi cally, your region of Maine? Bruce Tisdale: e advantage of Maine for me is I have lived and built my life here. I love my home and business that we have built here. I'm very happy with my region, as it does not have the congestion [found in the southern part of the state], and yet we can still be in Portland from my home in Monmouth, or the plant, in Auburn, in less than one and a half hours. I also love the countryside rides and [the way of life] here, especially in my home area and north. MB: How much of your customer base is Maine vs. the rest of the U.S. (or the world)? BT: When we started Mountain Machine Works in 1982, all of our business came from Maine, and it remained that way through our growth and development years, as we discovered niche markets to fi t the requirements of middle to large industries in Maine. It then started to decline to where it is now, approxi- mately 20% of our business. MB: What are the challenges of doing business in Maine? BT: Over the last fi ve to 10 years, I have spent a tremendous amount of time and money keeping my busi- ness alive and my employees with jobs once I fi nally realized that Maine was going to have a very hard time keeping its large manufacturing busi- nesses in Maine. Not only were our customers the larger industries, but that's where most of the startups came from after [owners learned] the ropes and skills at larger concerns, and then broke off with new ideas and skills. ree new businesses started around the time I did, with niche markets in textiles. ey are still running suc- cessfully today. I am starting to get more and more business from out of state, but it has been a hard road, and my children have left to fi nd exciting places to work. MB: Describe briefl y your journey to where you are in Maine. BT: I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I wanted to move out of the big cities. I took my fi rst steady job at a textile mill, W.S. Libbey Co., on the Androscoggin Falls in Lewiston. I had worked construction in Boston for a few years after fi nishing college at Drexel [University in Philadelphia]. I soon became passionate about the combined mechanical and person- nel dealings with the manufacturing industry, and knew that I wanted to do it for the rest of my working career. What could possibly be better than learning and resolving mechanical problems on hydro turbine systems, designing and building new equipment to make unique fabrics as effi ciently as possible, and all the time working and learning social skills dealing with a work force and learning from knowl- edgeable people in all areas? Bruce Tisdale Title: Founder and CEO Company: Mountain Machine Works Headquarters: Auburn What the company does: Mountain Machine Works is a full-service B2B manufacturer that offers on-site machining and fabricating. Bruce Tisdale founded Mountain Machine Works in Auburn as a small machine shop in 1982. Originally, it served mostly Maine customers, specializing in on-site machining and fabricating. Over the years, it has expanded to be a full-service B2B manufacturer with 80% of its business outside of the state. B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n F I L E P H O T O / R U S S D I L L I N G H A M 'I have lived and built my life here' I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I I moved here in 1973 to build a home, as I wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became wanted to move out of big cities...I soon became passionate about the combined mechanical and personnel dealings with the manufacturing industry, and I knew that I wanted to do it for the rest of my working career.

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