“It’s not the fact that you’re down that counts; it’s how you recover.”
Though Ernie Valente, owner of Pinelyne Furniture, learned that maxim from his father many years ago, he couldn’t have known then how significant it would be for him this past year.
On May 7, 2004, fire demolished his store’s main manufacturing facility, devastating his business and forcing his employees to make do with a third of their normal workspace until the new shop could be built.
But Valente has discovered that a positive attitude, supportive friends and family, and a loyal group of employees have all helped to sustain him during the difficult time.
“In some ways, it would have been easier to throw my hands up and accept defeat,” said Valente. “On the day of the fire…[my dad] was here and he told me, ‘You will get through this, you will survive this.’ He’s been my mentor and those things, they’re ingrained in you. Being from Maine you have a certain work ethic and you’re not afraid of challenges.”
His employees also reflect that work ethic. Valente is grateful for their loyalty in the months following the fire. “[Our] employees stuck with us,” he said. “It would have been impossible to survive a situation like that without their dedication and their hard work.”
And Valente is quick to praise the members of the Windham Fire Department for their tireless efforts to save his business. “Without them and their two ladder trucks, I wouldn’t have anything left. [Windham Fire Chief] Charlie Hammond and his crew were fantastic. And seven other towns were here to help out.”
Hammond, reflecting on the ordeal a year later, also commended his firefighters’ perseverance in battling the blaze. In addition, he cited their fine equipment, which he called their “saving grace.”
One of the largest and hottest fires the Department has ever had to contend with, the Pinelyne fire was “a learning experience on the water supply,” according to Hammond. “We taxed the water system that night,” he said. “[Consequently] we’ve been accused by the Portland Water District of contributing to breaking a water line.”
The fire, which was determined to have started outside the building in a container of chemical-soaked rags, has put a lot of things in perspective for Valente: “I was surprised by the outpouring of support. Business owners, citizens, and friends were calling and stopping by to offer anything they could do. That gives you the strength that you don’t necessarily have to go through this alone. As a business owner you feel like it’s all on your own shoulders but there are people around to lift you up.”
Determined to be one of those people, Valente called Donald and Joanne Vance, of D&J Excavating, last Tuesday to offer his support. Two days before, a large part of their business, located on Route 302 in Windham, was destroyed by fire.
Though it took some time, Valente feels that things are back to normal and business has actually increased over levels previous to the fire. But he did have a scare last February.
One evening, in an eerie moment of deja vu, Valente once again rushed to his business after a call from his sister, telling him there was a fire at Pinelyne. As he drove up to the cluster of red flashing lights, he saw Chief Hammond standing in a familiar position; his car parked in a familiar spot.
“I remember him saying, ‘It’s good to see you again,'” recalled Valente, “and I said, ‘I don’t want to keep meeting like this, Charlie.'”
The fire turned out to be a chimney fire in a house on the property. Damage was minor and his tenants were able to get back in the same night.
Despite that scare, the year has been kind to Valente. Although initially plagued with uncertainty and doubt over his ability to recover from such an ordeal, he, along with the people who depend on him, has come through it with a thankful attitude and a positive outlook, confirming his father’s words: “It’s not the fact that you’re down that counts; it’s how you recover.”
Pinelyne owner Ernie Valente stands in a new metal structure that replaces a barn which burned down a year ago May 7. As opposed to a year ago, Valente is full of smiles today.Send questions/comments to the editors.
