Lincoln Logs Faces Possible Move Abroad After Maine Factory Loses Major Contract

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Lincoln Logs Faces Possible Move Abroad After Maine Factory Loses
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Lincoln Logs, the classic American toy made from US wood, may soon be produced overseas as Pride Manufacturing in Burnham, Maine, prepares to close this April.

The factory, which has made Lincoln Logs since 2014, lost its largest contract to produce cigar tips, leaving the toymaker scrambling for alternatives.

According to Newsbreak, the closure affects 115 factory workers and raises the possibility that Lincoln Logs, founded by Frank Lloyd Wright's son John, could see higher prices and a shift in production to China.

"We are desperately looking for a vendor here that manufactures custom wood parts," said Jay Foreman, chief executive of Basic Fun, the company that owns Lincoln Logs.

"We are hoping that someone will purchase the factory or buy the equipment, but we are not counting on it for this year."

The Maine facility's financial troubles stemmed from losing the cigar tip contract, which was its highest-volume product.

Centre Partners Management, the private equity firm that owns Pride Manufacturing, said the decision forced the closure. Sources say the client behind the move is John Middleton, a cigar brand under Altria.

"After our largest customer made the decision to relocate their sourcing for cigar tips... the facility became financially unviable," the firm said in a statement.

Lincoln Logs Faces Price Hike

Lincoln Logs, once a mainstay in toy chests across America, reached $14 million in annual sales before the bankruptcy of Toys R Us in 2017, which hit the toy industry hard.

Demand began to recover in 2024 but dipped last year due to inflation and consumer uncertainty.

Sets typically sell for $50 to $70 for a 120-piece tin, and prices could rise by $5 to $7 this year because of tariffs on Chinese-made products, NY Post reported.

While Lincoln Logs' wooden pieces have been made in the US, the plastic accessories—roofs, farm animals, and figures—are manufactured in China and shipped to the US for assembly.

Basic Fun, which also owns Lite Brite, Care Bears, and Tonka Trucks, has started a 45-day search for a US supplier but is preparing a backup plan in China to meet holiday demand.

Foreman said production overseas is not ideal, but it may be necessary to ensure Lincoln Logs remain on store shelves.

"The move is a last resort, but we need to make sure families can continue to enjoy this classic toy," he added.

For decades, Lincoln Logs were made entirely in the US, with production moving partially to China in the 1990s to reduce costs.

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