Monson Maine Slate Company plant

[Cliff Olson]

The assets of Moosehead Manufacturing Co., including the former Monson Maine Slate Company buildings on the north side of the Monson Pond Quarry, will be auctioned off on January 21, 2010.  For further information, including several photos of the plant, see keenanauction.com.

[Cliff Olson]

The auction of the former Moosehead Manufacturing Co. assets was cancelled yesterday when Tardy-Connors Group LLC, the current owners, filed for reorganization under Chapter 11.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

I hope the reorganization means that the quarry wil be reopened at some point.  Monson Slate is well known around the U.S.  There are a number of important places where it was used including President Kennedy's headstone at Arlington National Cemetary.

[Cliff Olson]

Stewart, these companies are/were the manufacturers of Moosehead Furniture.  Slate has not been produced at this plant since 1943, when the Monson Maine Slate Company went out of business.  The furniture business began in the late 1940's in the former MMSC plant.

Carl Vainio bought the remaining holdings of MMSC (mostly abandoned quarries)about 1985 and now operates a slate salvage business under the names Kennedy Slate and/or Monson Maine Slate.  Most of his operations appear to be at the quarries that were on the Hebron Quarry Branch. 

The JFK headstone came from the Portland-Monson Slate Company (now part of Sheldon Slate), which still produces slate on a small scale south of town.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Cliff, Thanks for the information it clears things up.

[Cliff Olson]

According to the Bangor Daily this week, the Passamaquoddy Tribe is looking into purchasing the furniture plant.

[Mike Fox]

Suppose the main building is big enough for a casino?

[John Kokas]

Now wouldn't that be cool, arrive at the casino via 2 footer...........

[Cliff Olson]

It's only about a half mile from the station on existing roadbed.  Maybe the tribe would lease one of the buildings for a NG shop.

[Cliff Olson]

The Tardy-Connors Group, LLC real estate, equipment and intangibles are going to auction again on August 31.  Details plus photos on keenanauction.com.  

[Cliff Olson]

The entire assets of the former Moosehead Manufacturing Co. were sold at auction today for $1, 050,000 to a group that owns two other mills in western Maine and apparently intends to produce furniture (and possibly wood pellets) in the existing Monson mill.

[Glenn Christensen]

Hi Cliff,

Thought you'd like to see this story from today's PPH about the group that bought Moosehead Manufacturing.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/where-theres-a-mill-theres-a-way.html


Best Regards,
Glenn Christensen

[John Kokas]

Just dreaming, but wouldn't it be the greatest thing if we could complete a connection to Wiscasset and also have a rebirth industry on the line so that the WW&F would be reborn as a viable transportation link to the local economy.

[Cliff Olson]

Thanks, Glenn.  I saw that article on the newstand in Greenville today and was going to look it up online tonight.  I have heard that Louise Jonaitis recently had a meeting with former Moosehead employees.

[Cliff Olson]

Another setback for the Moosehead mill, according to today's Bangor Daily - - due to the presence of drums of furniture-making chemicals, Louise Jonaitis has backed away from purchasing the real estate.  She has bought the logo and furniture-making equipment and may lease, rather than buy, the mill property in the future.