Management Team

At Wells Wood Turning & Finishing, we are proud to operate a strong manufacturing facility in Maine. We believe products made of sustainable North American hardwoods are beautiful, incredibly versatile and timeless. We are focused on working closely with our customers and vendors to find innovation in product development, manufacturing processes, and overall strategic thinking.

Located in Buckfield, Maine, Wells Wood Turning and Finishing is approximately 150 miles northeast of Boston and 215 miles southeast of Montreal. The nearest airport is located in Portland, Maine, about 50 miles south.

Most of our 30 employees come from the communities surrounding Buckfield. Our staff has accumulated many years of experience in mill operations – engineering and machine configuration, custom wood turnings, quality control and customer service. Meet our management team!

Chris Chandler, President
Chris has worked with wood for more than 30 years – finishing his log cabin in nearby Raymond! It was this keen interest in working with wood, combined with an opportunity to grow a successful manufacturing business, that connected Chris to Wells Wood Turning. A former attorney with Curtis Thaxter LLC and now co-owner of Wells, Chris has advised businesses and financial institutions on employment, contracts, bankruptcy and intellectual property for 25 years. He resides in his log house in Raymond and looks for as many opportunities as possible to spend time with his two grown children.

Simon Varney, Vice President
Thrilled to be turning wood, Simon has worked in marketing and sales for more than 20 years, starting as a broker of computer hardware in 1995. Since then, he has worked in the fields of biotechnology, food safety and analytical instrumentation, most recently with Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he managed global marketing for Portable Analytical Devices. As co-owner of Wells Wood Turning, Simon is working to integrate business development with pulp and wire platforms in order to find and serve long-term customers. He resides in Portland, with his wife and two daughters.

Joanie Austin, Office Manager
Joanie has greeted and served the mill’s customers and vendors since 1990, when the company was known as CF Wells. As Office Manager, her duties include Logistics, Accounting and Human Resources. Joanie enjoys watching wildlife in her native Buckfield – you name it, that creature has probably visited her yard at least once! She has two children, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Jason Todd, Technical Manager
A strong contributor to the mill for 22 years, Jason is our Technical Manager. Leading a team of skilled technicians, Jason is charged with machine scheduling and set-up for customer orders. He has overall responsibility for maintenance of plant equipment. Originally from Massachusetts, Jason has lived in the near-by town of Sumner for 25 years.

Ellen Bragg, Production Manager
A Wells Wood Turning veteran, Ellen is our Production Manager. She allocates manufacturing resources to customer orders, ensuring quality and on-time delivery. Ellen also focuses on safety of the production team – “so everyone leaves with the same number of body parts they came to work with!” She resides in South Paris with her boyfriend and their son.