Now that some of the initial shock of the Custom House Wharf fire in Portland last Friday is wearing off, local business owners are figuring out what comes next.
Beth Greenlaw, the CEO of Sea Bags, says the factory store at 25 Custom House Wharf is closed for the foreseeable future, which will put a dent in the company's revenue.
"It's where the business started, on the wharf. It has a bunch of history for all of us, and it really is iconic to who we are as a company and a brand," Greenlaw said. "But on a productivity side, it is a top producing store for us. So losing this is a problem."
Harley Lewin, of Nanuq Kayaks, says the blaze caused catastrophic damage to his shop at and to most of his tools, boats and gear.
"What has my life been like [since the fire]? Empty," Lewin said. "My life and my day in, day out activities were largely centered on kayaking, kayak business, kayak adventure, exploration and the community that surrounds that on the wharf. And in a blink of an eye, it's gone."
Lewin says he's focused on looking forward, not back, however. His immediate priority is finding a temporary home for the shop, so he can continue doing boat repairs, and store the imported high-end kayaks he already ordered for this season, until the wharf is rebuilt.
Lewin says the outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming, and he's hopeful that word-of-mouth will help find him new quarters.
Greenlaw says it's likely the building will be scrapped. But if and when Custom House Wharf is rebuilt, she plans to work with the property owners to bring the Sea Bags factory store back to the same location.
