Wreath-making rings in holiday season

The wreath‑making season is under way, with customers so far showing signs of holding steady with last year's pace.
David Whitney, president of Whitney Wreath, reports that the orders are coming in very well, with production "a little ahead of schedule and a little ahead of last year." Whitney Wreath has built a 75,000-square-foot production facility in Whitneyville that has allowed the company to consolidate its operations. "We had nine plants last year, each with their own support staff, so we've created efficiencies." Besides the new facility, the company has plants in Baileyville, Crawford, Presque Isle and Nova Scotia. Last year the company had about 800 temporary employees working on wreaths during the season's peak. This year it has about 500 working alongside the 15 permanent full‑time employees and 50 to 150 workers who started in June and continue to work through the holiday season.
Charlotte resident Marilyn Morang makes wreaths for Whitney. She considers herself a slow wreath-maker but still provides 900 wreaths to the company from her home workshop. "The tips are good," she says of the quality of the brush this year.
Evergreen tips for large wreath‑making operations primarily come from Canada, explains Robert Dore of Dore's Evergreen, located in Perry. Dore adds, "There aren't enough tips, as always." He attributes this to two factors: a change in forestry practices that has reduced clear-cutting and changes in weather patterns. "It's not as cold as it used to get, and more rain. The color of the brush has changed."
Morang explains that many landowners in the area no longer allow tip-gathering on their land because of over‑tipping. Tipping can permanently damage trees if not done correctly. "I don't blame them, but there's not a lot of tipping coming from the beautiful State of Maine."
Gall midge has also been a factor in some tip collection. Balsam and Fraser firs are hosts to the gall midge, which causes needle drop. Alden Mingo of Mingo's Evergreen Products in Red Beach says, "The tips are good in some areas, but not in others." Kathy Bishop of Boyden Lake Creative Products in Perry has seen much the same variation, but overall she says that the tips are looking good.
Mingo started a week later than usual with a production crew of 15 at the shop. He says, "The number of wreaths varies from year to year. It all depends on the consumer. Everyone is holding back a bit and rightly so."
Bishop's company will produce about the same number as last year, between 500 to 1,000 wreaths. Like the large wreath companies, Bishop now has a website that offers wreaths, kissing balls, swags and candy canes.
Dore remarks that starting last year he has seen the customer base moving from large wreaths to smaller wreaths. He says the trend is continuing in the current wreath season.
Whitney is pleased to note that his company's contract with L.L. Bean "is going well" and includes expanded offerings.
Whitney hopes that county residents will pick up on an idea he has. "Every person should put a wreath on their car grill. It shows their support for the county's industry."