FRANKFORT, Maine (NECN) -- With the orange leaves and misty weather, it's prime time for New England fall. While others are hoping winter stays away as long as possible, but there's a new company in Maine needs a lot of snow for it's product to be a success.
Despite the snowy winters in Maine, where the snow shovel is an essential part of the winter tool kit, no one actually produces snow shovels, until now. Mike Thibodeau, owner of Mt. Waldo Plastics, was thinking about a business and said, "I thought gee wiz someone in the Northeast should be doing this and yet found nobody so we are excited about that."
Thibodeau has spent a year getting the company up and running and the first Mt. Waldo Snow Fighter shovels came off the line in September. Thibodeau said most shovels people in New England buy are made in the Mid-west or Canada. These shovels are made in the small Maine town of Frankfort. They retail for $15.99 and the company is confident Made in Maine will help them sell.
"Every person who touches it has to know it was made in our state we think that's important and folks will support that," said Thibodeau.
Early orders are going to local hardware stores, but Thibodeau knows he'll need to sell a lot more shovels to add employees to the payroll. He hopes the company will experience steady growth. One thing he won't have to worry about is demand, the only Mainers who don't need shovels are the ones who fly south for the winter.
