BROOKS, ME — A dairy barn converted to manufacture Baldwin Apple Ladders, used by apple orchard pickers around the country for more than 20 years, was destroyed in a fire yesterday.
In addition to the 6,500-square-foot building, the fire destroyed equipment and a one-year inventory of wooden ladders, according to the Bangor Daily News. Peter Baldwin, owner of Baldwin Apple Ladders, reportedly told fire investigators that his shop had experienced electrical problems earlier in the evening.
According to the company's website, Baldwin Apple Ladders was started 23 years ago. The rectangular rails of the up to 20-foot tall ladders are made with big-tooth ash and the rungs are made of ash. The company produced up to 1,200 of the ladders annually for exclusive use by commercial orchards.
Brown told the Bangor Daily News that he was uncertain if he would rebuild his business, which was only partially insured. A representative of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is heading up a fund raising drive to support potential rebuilding efforts.
Rich Christianson is Associate Publisher and Editor at Large of Woodworking Network. During his 25+ years covering the wood products industry, Rich has toured hundreds of manufacturing plants throughout North America, Europe and Asia. His reporting has covered everything from the state of the industry and impact of wood imports to technology and environmental issues. In his current capacity he is responsible for editing the daily Woodworking Network Update newsletter and coordinating events including the annual Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo and Canada’s biennial Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo.
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