“It is true of the nation, as of the individual, that the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer.”
—Theodore Roosevelt

Rodney Buswell Sr. carries on a craftsman's tradition at his family-owned small tool manufacturing company in Eddington, Maine, population 2,052.

Sometimes the dream of owning a business never materializes, or it lasts only as long as the business owner himself. In the case of Joseph Peavey, his dream remained real for four succeeding generations of Peaveys before being passed on to another family, the Buswells.

In 1857, Peavey, a blacksmith in Stillwater, Maine, got the idea for his logging tool while watching loggers struggle to free logs from a jam in the Penobscot River with a traditional Cant Hook. Legend has it that Peavey ran back to his blacksmith shop and added a metal spike to the hook, creating the Peavey.

Today, Peavey Manufacturing Company is located just five miles from the river where inspiration struck. While Peavey Manufacturing is a major supplier of wood products to a vast number of industries—from logging tools, tree pruning poles, and equipment to large diameter dowels and long poles—the original Peavey tool is the company’s bread and butter, according to Rodney Buswell Sr., president and co-owner. Buswell’s uncle and grandfather bought Peavey Manufacturing in the 1950s when the last member of the original Peavey family retired. “That tool is 150-years-old, and there are some people out there who would say we haven’t done a thing to improve it in the last 100 years,” jokes Buswell.

Buswell has maintained a commitment to using the highest quality materials regardless of cost. All Peavey products are made from Maine hardwood, such as maple, birch, beech, and ash, and the company still forges the metal used in its products on-site. Peavey products are sold through hundreds of outdoor and logging distributors, including Labonville and Bailey’s. Buswell says that the company sells approximately 15,000 of its signature Peavey tool every year, each retailing for around $70.

The company has diversified over the years, including creating turned wood products such as small handles, furniture parts, and other small wood products, but much of that business has gone overseas. “We realized we couldn’t be all things to all people, so we focus on what we’re good at,” Buswell says. “When you make something that’s the best it can be, why would we change it?”

Tradition is a part of the company’s core values, and Buswell has carried on the tradition of a family-owned and operated business. Buswell’s wife, two sons, a daughter, and a son-in-law all work for the company. And he hopes that his 11 grandchildren will enter the company someday. “We all depend on this small company for our livelihood,” says Buswell.

To share your Dreamers and Doers story, e-mail Greg Galdabini at ggaldabi@uschamber.com or call 202-463-5563.

Member Facts

Company: Peavey Manufacturing Company
President: Rodney Buswell
E-Mail Address: peaveymfg@roadrunner.com
Address: PO Box 129, Eddington, Maine 04428
Phone: 207-843-7861
Web site: http://peaveymfg.com
Chamber Member Since: 1999
Founded: 1857
Number of Employees: 32