T12 R8 WELS, Maine — If you call and schedule a hunting trip with Big Machias Lake Camps, LLC, or Oxbow Outfitters, LLC, you likely won’t notice a difference because Jeff Lavway, the new owner of the business, is the same person who has been managing its day-to-day operations for the past two years.
On May 30, Lavway officially purchased the business from Jeff O’Connor of Pennsylvania. Lavway has worked as a licensed Maine Guide since 2005, operating his own company, Northern Experience Guide Service in Gardner Creek, from 2005-2013. Upon selling his business, Lavway went to work for BMLC, starting out as a guide and expanding his role each year.
Once he decided to pursue the purchase of the business, he was referred to Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou, where he worked closely with Josh Nadeau of the Small Business Development Center to develop an attractive business plan.
Lavway knew the business was profitable, but to determine the business’s full potential, he sat down with Nadeau and worked through a 12-month cash flow projection over the course of a few meetings.
“The assistance I received from Josh really helped me to put numbers on paper and test the feasibility of my idea,” he added.
Lavway also worked with David Spooner and Julie Corey, both loan officers at NMDC, to secure the funding which would make this business transaction possible.
“Jeff is very well prepared to own and operate this business,” said Spooner. “He has a lot of experience in the industry and has established a great reputation for himself and the company.”
In the industry, BMLC is very well-known as it has been around since the mid-1920s. The business started out as a logging camp and transitioned to sporting camps in the mid-1960s. Hunters and sportsmen travel from all around the United States and Canada to enjoy a tranquil piece of Northern Maine. Today, the business has a total of seven camps, which sleep a total of 33 people.
The company also has exclusive rights to 238 lease sites covering more than 757,000 acres within the North Maine Woods.
“Previous clients always mention they really like the remoteness of the bear sites,” said Lavway.
For more information about free small business advising and small business loans, contact Nadeau at 493-5765 or by email at jnadeau@nmdc.org, or Spooner at 493-5766 or by email at dspooner@nmdc.org.
