Several solid reasons to ‘shop local’
To the editor:
Recently, owing to the perfect storm of having family visiting from away, renovating my old farmhouse, and having every vehicle I own kick the bucket at the exact same moment, I have had to engage in an abnormal amount of commerce. I must say that I have a new-found appreciation for some of our local entrepreneurs.
As a small business owner I know how hard it can be to do good business, but I also know that doing so is the absolute key to success and longevity in northern Maine’s economy. I’d like to briefly touch on my experiences with a few area businesses (and also point out that there are many, many other great businesses in the area that I’m not mentioning, and no offense is meant).
M+M Sheet Metal: Over the past month I have replaced the entire heating system in the old farmhouse that was left to my family by my grandparents. In doing so I had a lot to learn about heating systems. A bumbling, inept Troy Haines stumbled into M+M with nothing but a couple of measurements and the guys in the shop sent me on my way with a working knowledge of what I needed, and how to use it. A week later, after about 15 trips to have them fix my mistakes (and minus about half the skin on my hands) the job was finished thanks to their advice and patience, and at a much lower cost than I expected.
Arby’s: A friend of mine recently told me that somehow Arby’s had become about 200 percent better. I was skeptical as I can’t really see how a fast food place can step up their game that much, that quickly, but with a house full of people to feed on a budget I decided to give it a try. My friend was absolutely right. Arby’s in Presque Isle has gone from a good and inexpensive option, to an amazing fast food joint. The food is better, the service is faster and friendlier, and the overall experience is terrific. In trying to figure out how a sea-change in such a standardized industry is possible I discovered the answer. Michael Collins purchased Arby’s and through hard work and long hours set about making it a standard for what service and quality can be, and he has accomplished his mission.
Northern Electric: This is another example of a young entrepreneur making good in this economy. Roger Craig has been doing what he can to build good businesses for several years now, and for a man as young as he is he has done an incredible job. I called him with a furnace issue and he dropped everything and came right over to help. He and his service guy did fantastic work, they did it fast, efficiently and most of all inexpensively. They were friendly and helpful and if I would have been in a tough spot it hadn’t been for the extra effort they put in to seeing that things got up and running again promptly.
Service First Auto: This is another example of a young person venturing out on their own and making good. Ron Argraves has built himself a business here that I am sure is going to go far. I had to take two vehicles in here in two days and they did everything they could to get me back on the road fast. Ron and his mechanics were very professional, courteous and most of all honest (which is a big plus in a mechanic). Their rates are very reasonable, and they work fast. This is a great garage and I’d like to thank Jim Burrell of Jim’s Automotive (another fantastic area business, if you need a car detailed this man is so good it’s scary) for bringing him to my attention. I think Ron is going to enjoy a long and successful career in business.
It makes me extremely proud of my neighbors to see them working so hard to build good businesses which make our community thrive, and making their own paths in this tough economy. Congratulations to all of these businesses and I wish you all a lot of success!
Troy Haines, owner
SPW Meat Cutting, Mapleton
