The Art of the Lathe.

Last year, Maine Wood Concepts, a company that makes wood-turned products like pepper mills and toy wheels, purchased Vic Firth Gourmet Kitchen Products division (to be sold under the label Fletchers’ Mill. The move has allowed company President Douglas Fletcher to hire 30 new workers for their mill in New Vineyard, bringing the total number of employees up to about 100. This is good news for an industry that lost out to Chinese competitors in the late 1990s through 2009. The loss of shop classes in high school and a trend away from home craft to electronic gaming also contributed to the company’s decline. Through lean manufacturing practices and strategic acquisitions, the company has successfully weathered difficult economic times and expects to increase their revenues by 30% by the end of the year