In the small town of Shirley Mills, in Piscataquis County, a manufacturing business reaches far beyond its rural Maine roots. Dove Tail Bats, LLC, owned by husband and wife Paul and Theresa Lancisi, specializes in manufacturing custom wood baseball bats made from Maine-grown northern white ash, yellow birch, and rock maple at both the retail and wholesale level, providing bats to amateurs and professionals alike throughout the US, Latin America, Canada, Japan as well as Australia.

After being turned down by other lenders, Paul and Theresa Lancisi came to CEI with a need for working capital. Their business had been in operation for 11 years, but in order to grow the business while maintaining their high quality custom-made bats, they needed financing.  “The inability to acquire financial backing in a capital-intensive business is a major hurdle to overcome,” said CEI Loan Officer, Cole Palmer. “Paul and Theresa have carefully considered every business decision. In one word, they are resourceful.”

“CEI was willing to go to bat for us when other institutions were not.  This loan enabled us to have the working capital necessary to grow our business by acquiring faster, high tech equipment and at the same time increasing our buying power to drastically lower our material costs.” –Paul Lancisi, Owner

While the majority of their competitors have grown too large to focus on the importance of personalized service both at the professional level and the amateur level of baseball, Dove Tail Bats views themselves as a niche player where quality, value, and a strong focus on customer service wins them new customers over time.

CEI’s loan helped the Lancisi’s purchase a CAD (computer aided design) system which replaced the physical template process, creating the ability to expand template options, improve production, and free some much-needed space in their warehouse. The loan also supported various renovations to their warehouse space, and provided working capital to invest in labor, inventory, and accounts receivable as the business continues to grow.

“CEI worked hard to promote our best interests in the loan application process.  They were extremely professional and caring about our business and I would highly recommend them to other Maine businesses.”

–Theresa Lancisi, Owner

As one of just a handful of bat manufacturing companies under contract with Major and Minor League Baseball, and the only company of its kind in Maine, Dove Tail Bats is growing rapidly. In 2016, the business doubled its production to keep up with production demand. The addition of a split billet mill enables the purchase and use of locally grown wood. New customers include MLB players Eric Hoser, Alex Gordon, and Mike Moustakas from the Kansas City Royals, Bryce Harper from the Nationals, and Yoan Moncada of the White Sox. Dove Tail Bats continues to provide the highest quality bats to its dedicated following among players who put their faith in the strength of Maine-grown trees.