Governor LePage and Pride Manufacturing Welcome Lincoln Logs to Maine

September 17, 2014

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

Central Maine manufacturer adds jobs with iconic toy

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage and Pride Manufacturing Company on Wednesday welcomed the iconic American toy brand, Lincoln Logs, to Maine. Pride Manufacturing Company, which is in the Central Maine town of Burnham, announced it will produce the popular toy and bring more jobs to the area.

“I commend Pride Manufacturing for representing the best of Maine and for their enthusiastic approach to making Lincoln Logs in Maine,” said Governor LePage. “Yes, it will bring jobs to Maine. More importantly, it shows that not only can our businesses compete on the world stage for internationally recognized brands, but also that Maine should be considered as a top choice when looking to bring back manufacturing. I look forward to seeing children across Maine and all over the world playing with this toy, knowing it was made in our state.”

According to Randy Dicker, Senior Director of Manufacturing at Pride’s Burnham facility, 100-percent of the Lincoln Logs will be manufactured in Maine as soon as Pride's operations are at capacity. Dicker anticipates the addition of the production of Lincoln Logs will create up to 10 new jobs. Currently, the Burnham facility provides 130 full-time jobs.

“Today is a great day, and I want to thank Governor LePage for his support,” said Dicker. “We operate a sawmill, dry kilns and numerous styles of wood working machines that allow us a good mix of products for our company. As world leaders in golf tee and cigar tip manufacturing, we will bring that top quality craftsmanship we are known for to the Lincoln Logs brand. The addition of Lincoln Logs is an exciting opportunity for us, and we’re proud to be able to say that this iconic toy is made right here in Maine.”

Lincoln Logs were invented in 1916 by John Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Founded in 1992, K’NEX is known for construction toys and holds the license to Lincoln Logs, which were being manufactured in China. K’NEX senior vice president of operations Larry Fanelle praised Pride Manufacturing Company. “The quality and craftsmanship, that Pride products carry will serve the Lincoln Logs brand well, and we couldn’t be happier to bring these jobs back to the United States and specifically to Maine,” he said.