April 2009 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5.
Need Engine Parts - Marine Parts Express
or computer. They also have a full time me- cause they didn’t really understand. I did a lot
chanic and two part timers who come in when of work with the pipe cutters, painting and
needed; a bookkeeper/accountant and a corrosion control.”
couple of people in shipping. Over the years that Neeson has owned
How are they weathering the economic the company he has continued to see a
downturn, very well. Neeson said, “We growth of about 40 percent every year. This
haven’t felt it hardly at all. We are not selling means that they are out growing their three-
as many new engines, but we are selling a lot story barn, but they can expand. Neeson said
of parts. Comparing this January to last Janu- that it was great to own the building and if he
ary we are up 60 percent and this February to needs to he owns more land and would just
last February we were up 30 percent. So put up another building. He added, “The
people are still buying engine parts.” industry is changing so much. In the old days
Neeson grew up in Spruce Head and you used to go to your local guy and get your
went to Colby College. He then went on to
Continued on Page 26.
graduate school at Carnegie Mellon where he
received his MBA. He
worked for a couple of years
with a company called
SURVEYORS FOR
A few of the used engines at Marine Parts Express.
Timkin, which made roller
MAINE'S MARINE COMMUNITY
bearings, before going to
EDGECOMB – There are a lot of well kept marine engine under about 500 horse, some-
work at Bath Iron Works.
secrets on this coast, even if some would times we go a little bit bigger, and then all the
There he was an assistant
prefer that everyone know. How many of you outdrives. We have Twin Disc, ZF, Borg
foreman and a production ASSOCIATED
have developed and engine problem and Warner, and Velvet Drive. We are also doing
engineer. He said as a produc-
then not been able to find the part? You scour quite a bit of industrial marine-based indus-
tion engineer he worked with MARINE SURVEYORS
the area vendors and when that fails it is off trial generator parts.”
various people on trying to
to the computer to search the Internet. One Marine Parts Express also has a large
improve production. He said,
might be very surprised to find that this part selection of old parts. They have a couple of
“When I applied for a job at
might be right in their backyard at Marine buyers that go around Florida and the New
BIW they said, ‘Where did
Parts Express in Edgecomb. Orleans area buying up old engines and other
voice 207 846 4900
you go to graduate school?’ I
The company is owned by J. D. Neeson, parts. They then are shipped to Edgecomb
said ‘Carnegie Mellon,’ they
fax 207 846 4700
who purchased it about five years ago. “I ran where they are parted out.
said, ‘Oh, you’re an engi-
another company that supplied temporary Now about 40 percent of the business is
neer,’ and I said ‘No, no, no I
employees and bookkeeping and one of the international, and the rest of the sales are
didn’t go for engineering.’ I
companies I supplied employees and book- mostly outside the State of Maine. However,
went to a business school at
keeping for was the predecessor of this com- a number of commercial fishermen buy their
Lower Falls Landing
Carnegie Mellon, but it was
pany before they went out of business, Re- normal maintenance items from Marine Parts
known as a big engineering
106 Lafayette Street
power Services over in Wiscasset. The two Express, such as filters, belts, and impellers.
school. So I did engineering
Yarmouth, Maine 04096
owners, one decided to something else, and And then when they need to make repairs,
for the next three years be-
the other, well it was a lot for one person to they turn to them for the parts, or if the engine
handle so he also decided to do something has developed a major problem, they have
else. So we purchased some of the computers them rebuild the motor for them. Neeson
and inventory and brought it over here to added, “We rebuild about 20 to 30 engines a
Great Island Boat Yard
Edgecomb. We then began to expand the year. We rebuild them completely for a lot
programs and expand the inventory. lobstermen, especially the old, bigger die-
“About 70 percent of our business is sels.”
Internet sales,” continued Neeson. “and be- It is not just diesel engines that they
cause we have these guys here answering the carry parts for, but also gasoline. Neeson
phone they also train. They help people get said, “We do a fair amount of gas engines for
the right part for the boat engines we handle pleasure boats. It used to be that we had more GREAT
like Volvo, Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit, commercials boats than pleasure boats, but
Mercruiser, Pleasurecraft, Isuzu, everything now it’s pleasure boats. I have a fair supply
Service, Access, Value
really except John Deere.” of odd ball engines too like Ford Lehmans and
Marine Parts Express is located in a old 318 Chryslers.”
three-story barn, which houses the inven- “We do a lot of phone sales,” said
Big boat yard service expertise delivered with
tory. However business has been so good Neeson, “and unlike a lot of people in this the personal care and responsiveness of
there is now an overflow of new and used business we are willing to talk to people and
a family business. Call or visit us to discover
parts and that has now spread out to some give them recommendations on what we
how you can benefit from our exceptional blend
tents and a U-Haul truck in the yard. Neeson think might be wrong, and that’s why it is so
of traditional craftsmanship and state of the
added, “Most of the parts we have, we have difficult to find people this, because we’ve
a fairly big inventory, I can’t sell from an got to get people who are real knowledge-
art technology.
empty cart.” able.”
“We also do transmissions,” said Presently they have 11 employees, most
Protected marina with 110 slips and moorings
Neeson. “We do almost any part for any of which are sales people manning the phone 20,000 sq. ft. of indoor, climate-controlled work space
Maine craftsmen maintain and restore boats year round
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207.729.1639
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207-497-2701
jshipyard@mgemaine.com
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