Not unlike any other business in the housing industry that relied on a healthy economy, Moosehead Cedar Log Homes (MCLH) of Greenville, Maine was negatively affected when the housing market began to fall, followed by the downturn in the U.S. economy.
MCLH is a manufacturer of quality northern white cedar log home kits. Their corporate office and 10 acre manufacturing facility is based in Greenville, Maine. MCLH has a strong presence throughout the United States through the use of a dealer network.
During the height of the “building boom”, Moosehead Cedar Log Homes was receiving as many as 85 orders per year for log home kits ranging from 1000 sq/ft upwards of 3500 sq/ft. Those kits carried an associated cost of $40,000 and up, with several topping the $200,000 mark. When the market began to slump, so did the orders. MCLH received 25 orders in 2008. The first half of 2009 was not overly optimistic either according to owners Randy and Lucy Comber. “We were just not seeing the customers” they remarked, whether it was through visits to the website, telephone calls or people walking into the showroom. “There were a lot of rumors out there, not just about us but other companies as well.”
However, things have really begun to pick up again for the company, which is located in Maine’s poorest county of Piscataquis. According to Randy Comber, the company has received over 10 orders for homes within the last three weeks. All but two of them are to ship this fall with the remaining two scheduled for early next spring. Lucy states that she has noticed a rapid increase in requests for information through all outlets.
Randy believes that the key to survival of MCLH during these times was its ability to “get small in a hurry”. “We were able to downsize quick but still meet customers demands”. Moosehead Cedar Log Homes concentrated its advertising efforts in a complete re-design of their website. Now with things turning around, customers will notice a stronger presence from MCLH in national trade magazines, home shows and other forms of advertising media.
When asked why business is beginning to increase, the Combers had several factors that they attributed it to. One is that they believe the public is feeling a little more comfortable with the economy and fuel prices. Randy stated, “Many log home companies closed. Large companies. Those of us that remain in business have been here for a long time and will continue to be here. We offer a top end, high quality product at a fair price.” Other contributing factors are MCLH’s “Green Building practices”, the affordability and availability of skilled log home craftsmen and homebuyer tax credits. MCLH is very optimistic about the outlook of their company and they hope to see a continued rise in sales in the near future.
For more information on Moosehead Cedar Log Homes and their products, call 1-800-571-3296 or email at info@mclh.net. www.mclh.net.
