Integrity Ledge Boring Inc.: Go home and go big

FARMINGTON – When owner of Integrity Electric Company Mike Carleton began constructing power lines, he had no idea the number of walls, or rocks, rather, he’d be up against.

“The ledge rock always messed everything up. We’d have a contract with a client and all of a sudden would be looking at a $2,000 increase in charges because of the ledge. Plus we had to hire other companies to do it, and would have to wait for them to show up,” Mike said. “We needed to find a better way. A better way for our customers.”

So Mike did just that. With the motivation and ambition of his brother Darren, the duo got down to business starting their own ledge boring company. While Darren did the research and found a reliable equipment company in Pennsylvania, Mike began talking to Franklin Savings Bank and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce to get their ducks in a row.

“We just jumped in with both feet. It was a ‘go big or go home’ situation,” Darren said.

Now, only one year later, Darren and Mike co-own one of the five ledge boring companies in the state. They are looking at a potential partnership offer from Central Maine Power to help with ledge boring in emergency situations, and hope to expand their licensing to offer their service to New Hampshire and Vermont as well.

Both of the Franklin County natives have moved away and returned home, with no plans of leaving again. They both say they chose Farmington as a base for a reason, and the choice has proven to be a positive one.

“They say it takes a village to raise a kid, but I don’t know how we could have pulled this off without the Chamber and Franklin Savings Bank,” Darren said. “We couldn’t have done this in Lewiston because we wouldn’t have gotten that big hug when you walk into a room. Everyone wants us to do well.”

Mike’s business currently employs nearly 30 local people, and with the ledge boring operation they hope to hire another five down the road. According to Mike, local hires are another big reason he stuck with Franklin County to do business.

“We grew up here, and we were as poor as you could be. It feels good to be able to hire local people and give them a good place to be. We don’t want them to feel like we felt as kids,” Mike said. “It keeps them home, too.”