Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Caribou Hydraulic and Machine, located at 364 East Presque Isle Road, is under new ownership. The business, which focuses on rebuilding or repairing hydraulic cylinders along with offering metal fabrication was started 40 years ago by Lloyd Duncan and William Crandall.
Contributed photoMembers of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently attended the grand opening of Caribou Hydraulic and Machine, now under new ownership. The business, located on the East Presque Isle Road in Caribou, provides hydraulic repair and metal fabrication. From left are: Kevin Huston, CCC&I; employee Adam Thomas; Ken Murchison, CCC&I; owner Jeremiah Oliver; Shawn Anderson CCC&I; owner Katherine Doig with grandson Jakob Oliver and Brian Duncan, employee.
One of the new owners, Jeremiah Oliver, also wears the hat of shop manager. Oliver’s mother, Katherine Doig, also an owner in the business, takes care of answering the phones, dealing with all the paperwork that goes with ordering parts and keeping track of the inventory. Doig is also pretty knowledgeable about hydraulic cylinders herself.
Oliver is no stranger to working with heavy equipment parts. Prior to taking over the business owner he worked at Midas in Caribou for three years, a period of time with Vald’Amour in the Light Industrial Park and three years as a road mechanic for Chadwick-Baross, working with forestry and agricultural equipment.
The main service provided is the repair and rebuilding of hydraulic cylinders. “In the past we’ve done a lot of work with the town plows and we service a lot of harvesters for area farmers,” said Oliver. The site also services wood splitters which are being used more and more due to the increase in heating oil.
The new owners like to say that Caribou Hydraulic and Machine has the largest selection of O-rings in the county. These flat rings, act as washers to complete a seal, similar to what is found on the handle of a garden hose. These rings prevent fluid from leaking out around a fitting.
Oliver also commented that he is working on increasing his inventory of available fittings.
“We get a lot of inquiries regarding machining. “We don’t do actual machining, but we repair and rebuild the hydraulic cylinders found in a machine’s motors or pumps,” he said.
Oliver reminds local farmers that his shop also services the “Buck-A-Dit”, an electric potato shovel which was created by the original owners back in the mid1960s. This compact vehicle, used in potato houses, came with a 50 foot cord on a reel, allowing the operator to actually maneuver in the potato bins, long before the skid-steers became popular. “We still get calls for parts or to service the Buck-A-Dit.” said Oliver, “there are still quite a few of them being used in this area.”
Caribou Hydraulic and Machine provides service for most all types of hydraulic parts.
Business hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m.—5 p.m.
Oliver plans to offer service on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon during the up-coming potato harvest season.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment call 498-2508.
Contributed photo
The Buck-A-Dit, an electric shovel was first developed in the mid 1960’s. Used to maneuver ainside potato houses, compact vehicle is outfitted with a 50 foot cord. There are still a number of these still used today.
