Sugar shack | A conversation with Chris Botka, owner of Maine Mountain Maple in Rangeley
Photo/Courtesy Maine Mountain Maple
Chris Botka
Maine Mountain Maple
Founded: January 2008
Employees: 2
Start-up costs: Approximately $63,000
Projected revenue, year one: $15,000
Projected revenue, year two: About $20,000
Contact: 491-1612
50 Edelheid Road, Sandy River Plantation, Rangeley
www.mainemountainmaple.com
What is Maine Mountain Maple?
It’s a maple production business, producing syrup from some of the healthiest sugar maples in the Rangeley region. It’s a three-part business: it’s the trees we tap, the processing of the maple syrup and retail and marketing. What makes us so unique is our location on Bald Mountain. We are a vacation area up here … it’s a retail wholesale export. Most of my clientele are vacationers; I sell about 2-3% locally. There are no chemicals or fertilization involved. The Rangeley region is surrounded by the largest lakes in the state, and people who come to us know the area is pure.
Why did you start the company?
I have been making maple syrup for 50 years. Maple sugaring is a lot of fun and very rewarding because it always brings a smile to people’s faces. What really got it going is my passion for producing a natural product and the need for natural products. I am very passionate about Maine, and I want to promote the state through producing maple syrup products. The product is coming from trees that are as clean as they can be.
How do you market your business?
By promoting the pureness of Maine … I made a website and wanted it to be very informational. There are segments on how the syrup is made and simple recipe books. People who enter the site can learn about the maple syrup business and buy my products while doing so. My two daughters help me a lot with labeling the products, product information and managing the website.
How do you finance this business?
I finance my business through personal equity.
What has been the biggest challenge running this business?
It’s a very expensive business and it has definitely been a learning curve. People don’t realize that making maple syrup incorporates much of the education process. It includes math, science, history and even English. You also have to know about weather patterns and barometric pressure … You really have to rely on all of these for business to run smoothly. It’s a farming type environment. Anyone who farms has a passion for what they do.
The trees I tap are revenue for the state, leased in cooperation with the state of Maine public lands through the Department of Conservation. So every tree I tap, I pay the state. I also had to buy some new and some used equipment and sacrifice the fact that what you want and what you need are different. You have to learn how to modify. While the value of syrup has increased, the cost of supplies has increased, too.
What has been successful about your business strategy?
I produce around 1,600 to 1,700 bottles of syrup a year. During my first year, I produced around 300 gallons. I also sold a lot online for Christmas, with about $4,000 in different size orders, from a couple pints to quarts and even half-gallons. I sell my products in retail stores like the IGA in Rangeley, Fodder’s Market in Stratton and Pines Market in Eustis. I also sell my product at Scent Sations, a gift shop in Kingfield. We put about 90% into wholesale and 10% in retail. I recently sold 200 bottles of syrup for a wedding in Massachusetts.
What are your goals for the future of this business?
Maine produces 25% of what Canada produces, with about as much land mass and available trees. The export of syrup nationally and worldwide can create jobs, but we are far behind Canada and Vermont in production and technology, yet we have a greater supply of sugar maples to tap into. My personal goal is for Maine Mountain Maple to survive as a long-term, financially stable business and for Maine to become the highest producing state in the country for maple syrup and by-products of maple syrup. When people think of Maine, I want them to think of maple syrup.
Interview by Kayla Collins
New Ventures profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
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