Lagging supply chain, big demand put pinch on Maine businesses
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses from Maine breweries to boatyards are having trouble keeping up with demand as the supply chain lags behind.
“The supply chain and the demand for appliances has created a significant mess in our industry,” Agren Appliance owner Eric Agren said.
Agren said they’re telling customers to think six to nine months ahead if they want a new appliance.
“In the meantime, people are at home they’re baking sourdough. They’re using their appliances more than ever, and they’re investing in their homes, so demand is the highest we’ve ever seen it,” Agren said.
Yarmouth Boatyard owner Steve Arnold said boats are selling so quickly they will problem run out of their inventory in the next couple of months.
“A lot of people bought boats for the first time last year, so that has put a supply constraint on everything. The demand’s high and the supply’s not there,” Arnold said.
The demand for parts and factories that had to shut down at the beginning of the pandemic are causing the supply crunch.
“I think it’s been ongoing throughout the pandemic,” Maine Beer Company head of marketing and communications Anne Marisic said.
Marisic said Maine Beer Company has been able to avoid some of the supply issues bogging down other breweries because they use glass bottles instead of cans.
Despite that, she said it has been tough to find caps, labels and boxes for shipping.
“We talk a lot about pivots that took place sort of front of house, but there’s a lot of back-of-house too that is causing a lot of people to adapt and really think on their feet,” Marisic said.
Business owners said the bump in business is a wave they are happy to ride as long as the supply chain catches up soon.