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Ellsworth Builders Supply, Inc., was established in 1959. It was, and still is, a subsidiary of the Ellsworth Falls Lumber Co., Inc. The lumber company originally operated several small sawmills in the area. The supply company became a successful effort to diversify away from the troubles of the sawmill business. Ellsworth Falls Lumber Co. was backed by three families who summered on Mount Desert Island. They sought to improve the job market in interior Hancock County, a long-depressed area of Maine. When that effort proved no longer viable, the families acquired the Ellsworth Builders Supply name in 1959. Its building supply facility had burned to the ground. A new store and warehouse were built at its present Ellsworth site.
Today, EFLCo continues as a management and real estate holding company. Its principal function is to act as a holding and management company for Ellsworth Builders Supply, Inc. (EBS).
In 1970, Austin Goodyear acquired EFLCo from the three summer families. The Goodyears had lived in Connecticut and had a summer residence on the Maine coast. Goodyear was attracted to Maine and sought to own a business here. Austin Goodyear passed away in 2005.
In 1970, EBS was one location with nine employees. Today, the business has ten branches and nearly 300 employees. Of these branches, three are in Washington County, four in Hancock County, and three in Waldo and Knox Counties. They are scattered mostly among coastal Maine villages, 5 to 25 miles apart. Sales have grown steadily, except during the 1991-1992 recession, to over $70 million today. The 35 plus years of progress has occurred as Maine itself has gradually changed from being a very rural state to a healthier, year-round, more diverse economy. Compared to other New England states, however, it has much further to go.
At a meeting a few years ago with several customers of EBS, an important and long-established Mount Desert Island contractor remarked, "EBS is a class outfit. There is nothing else like it hereabouts!" As the company has strengthened its position in the do-it-yourself market, in the hardware market, and in the home decor (Style Solutions) market, EBS has in fact maintained its leadership. Most importantly, it has moved purposefully into the digital age. It operates a fleet of over 50 delivery trucks, but its investment in computer equipment and software is over 50% of its investment in trucks!
The management of EBS continues to set demanding standards of customer service. They energize the business with a reputation for expertise in its fields. They aim to inject into the business increasingly sophisticated management systems. EBS maintains a philosophy that puts customer satisfaction, sound growth, and future stability ahead of everything else. This philosophy has resulted in the business growing faster than its competitors in the areas it serves.
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