Buoy bells line the shelves of the new retail location of North Country Wind Bells in Waldoboro. Peggy and Ron Davis, who bought the business in 2024, felt that the brand needed to continue on the coast of Maine after learning it was for sale. (Christina Wallace photo)
When Peggy and Ron Davis lost the windcatcher on their Nantucket buoy bell and went to the North Country Wind Bells showroom in Round Pond to replace it, they had no idea it would turn into a new business venture.
Learning the business was for sale, the Davises, of Waldoboro, said they felt the company should continue and stay on the coast of Maine. Ron Davis, having a background in machine and tool work, was already knowledgeable about machinery and the production process, Peggy Davis said.
The Davises relaunched the company in November 2024 and are now in the process of moving the production facility from Round Pond to a new location on Winslows Mills Road in Waldoboro. They are joined by their son, Jim Davis, who has taken on the position of CEO for the business.
Their new retail store, North Country Wind Bells & More, located on 722 Atlantic Highway (Route 1), opened during Labor Day weekend. They chose to add “and more” to their store’s name as they are expanding beyond just bells.
“We’re really interested in expanding what we can offer to people,” Peggy Davis said.
Davis said her focus is on creating products that draw people into nature and involve more elements than just wind.
“Here, we’re primarily about wind and water, and then secondarily about fire and earth,” Davis said. “Everything here is intended to encourage people to pay attention to the nature that’s around them, either seeing, hearing, or experiencing nature.”
Peggy Davis, who bought North Country Wind Bells with her husband Ron Davis in 2024, stands in front of the kind of windcatchers that prompted them to buy the business. When they lost the windcatcher on their Nantucket buoy bell and went to the showroom to replace it, they had no idea the trip would turn into a new business venture. (Christina Wallace photo)
The store now offers not only its signature buoy bells, but also wind chimes, rain chains, indoor fountains, brackets, and a wide variety of wind catchers.
Additionally, they offer wood products carved with a laser by Ron Davis, artwork by Indigenous digital print artists Norma Randi Marshall and Marissa Joly, nature photography by Kelly Delano, stone pieces by self-proclaimed “Maine rock guy” Mark Guido, and 3D printed items by Jamie Perry.
The history of North Country Wind Bells goes back to the 1970s, when founder Jim Davidson attempted to mimic the sounds of the harbor using scrap metal.
According to Davis, Davidson worked as a lobsterman and was dependent on the sound of the buoy bells in the harbor to help him navigate. Each bell he created with the scrap metal represented a different harbor.
Davis said that one of the aspects of the business that attracted her most was the simple design of the buoy bells.
“They’re three sides of different gauges of steel, and they’re cut on a laser machine,” Davis said. “They last for a long time, but they are so simple.”
Davis said that a rod with an acrylic hammer is attached in the middle of the steel, and then the whole bell is sent through a powder coating system that gives it longevity and protection against rust.
“How they sound depends somewhat on where they’re hung, but as long as they’re in a place where there’s breeze, they remind us that there is breeze,” she said.
The Davises said they plan on operating North Country Wind Bells & More seasonally from May to October. Their products will be sold year-round online. During the months when the main retail store is closed, there will be a small retail space at the production facility where products can be purchased.
Currently, North Country Wind Bells & More is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. For more information, call 705-3755 or go to northcountrywindbells.com.
North Country Wind Bells has opened a new retail location, North Country Wind Bells & More, at 722 Atlantic Highway (Route 1) in Waldoboro. Company owners Peggy and Ron Davis are expanding the company’s products to include items that incorporate all four elements, not just wind. (Christina Wallace photo)
