Maine Wood and Wood Composite Products Company Assisted in Growth by MEP

Cousineau Wood Products is a family-owned business that has been in operation for over 45 years. The business began as a small sawmill in 1959 and has expanded to include manufacturing of wood products, construction services, modular home building, landscaping products and property management. The wood products facility located in North Anson, Maine, consists of a state-of-the-art sawmill, log yard and value-added manufacturing space. The company is a major international supplier of gun stocks, pistol and knife grips as well as skateboard decks, furniture components, specialty composites and fine veneer wood products.

While many of Cousineau’s products utilize Maine wood, some require veneers imported from Eastern Europe. These veneers are relatively expensive, must be purchased by the container load and require long lead times to acquire. The cyclic nature of demand for recreational items combined with the large investment to maintain adequate levels of imported wood inventory was pushing Cousineau into a challenging cash position as the company grew. For help Cousineau turned to Maine MEP, part of the MEP National Network™.

Maine MEP worked with the management team to establish business strategies and goals and develop sales forecasts that would allow for cash planning. As the company grew, greater cash demands for increased production were driving the need for enhanced financing resources. MEP assisted in securing the needed resources at critical times. Maine MEP then assisted with building management tools to better manage cash flow, establish optimal inventory levels and minimize production interruptions. Additionally, MEP assisted Cousineau’s by engaging a grant writer to generate proposals for them.