History
The Nezinscot Guild started in 1979 as a wooden products manufacturing
facility to provide meaningful employment to the area's citizens
with developmental disabilities. We began originally in a century old building on the banks
of The Nezinscot River in Turner Village, Maine. A small group of
people with diverse skills consolidated their energies and the business
has been thriving ever since. The Nezinscot Guild outgrew its original
rustic location in 1992, and moved to a new light manufacturing plant
across town in The Turner Business Park.
Initially, we provided extensive secondary operations to the Maine
Wood Turning Industry. Our first location was ideal for servicing
the many turning mills that were located in Central Maine. The Guild's
value added operations: drilling, shaping, ripping, cutting and sanding,
proved to be more cost effective than what the mills themselves could
do. Today, over 20 years later, our customer base has expanded significantly.
The Secondary Wood Operations now account for nearly half of The Guild's
Wood Products Division, and we still maintain business relationships
with many of our original customers.
In the mid 80's, The Guild found a specialty niche: wooden boxes and
gift crates for the "Made-in-Maine" gourmet food industry.
Today, our boxes provide unique and effective alternatives to traditional
paper packaging in a variety of industries. The boxes are attractive,
well-made and durable. They serve many secondary uses in home and
office. Silk screening and branding are value added options we can
offer to further enhance product name recognition long after the packaged
product has been consumed. Nezinscot Guild today enjoys national name
recognition in the Gift Crate and Box Industry.
It was also in the mid 80's that The Guild set up a separate division
devoted to Commercial Packaging and Assembly. Initially, we provided
packaging services to the pharmaceutical industry. We have maintained
a long term relationship with our original customer, IDEXX Corporation
of Westbrook, Maine. As in the Gift Crate and Box Industry, The Nezinscot
Guild quietly expanded its Packaging and Assembly Department and has
maintained a solid reputation for quality and timely delivery with
a broad and diverse customer base.
In both of our divisions our policy has been to expand our customer
base with an eye to long term business relationships.
Social Purpose
There is no question that we owe our success to the dedication and
spirit of our workers. We believe they are our greatest asset. Our
staff includes people of all ages and backgrounds with and without
disabilities working side by side in an integrated and dynamic small
business setting. The Guild maintains the highest standards of quality
in the products and services it provides for its customers and tries
to do the same for the opportunities it offers its employees.
The Nezinscot Guild was awarded The 2000 Noyce Award for excellence
as a Social Purpose Enterprise. The award is bestowed annually by
The Maine Community Foundation.
In 2004, The Nezinscot Guild was awarded, The Turner Business of the
Year Award, by the Lewiston-Auburn Chamber of Commerce.
