Woodpecker Door Stop

Maple Landmark's roots trace back to the mid-1970s, when founder Mike Rainville began woodworking in his parents' basement using scraps from his grandfather's carpentry projects. What started as a hobby making items such as cribbage boards, spool holders, and small crafts became Maple Landmark in 1979. The business professionalized into a full time operation after Mike graduated from college in 1984. Using the early profits, he and his grandfather, Fletcher Brown, constructed the original building on their family's land named Maple Landmark Homestead.

Over the years, the company grew steadily through smart acquisitions and innovation. In 1987, the acquisition of Troll's Toy Workshop introduced alphabet toys and letter cars, a precursor to the popular NameTrains line which launched in 1993. The following year, the addition of rainbow colors to the already popular NameTrains drove rapid growth. In 1996, Maple Landmark moved from Lincoln to a larger facility in Middlebury, and in 2001 the company acquired Montgomery Schoolhouse, a Vermont maker of classic baby and toddler toys. With the addition of laser engraving, pad printing, and later direct digital printing, the product catalog never stopped expanding.

A pivotal moment came in 2007, when widespread toy recalls of imported toys drove American families toward safe, domestic alternatives. Maple Landmark earned national media coverage and saw new customers. With families searching for toys they could trust, Maple Landmark launched Schoolhouse Naturals: a finish-free collection of simple, natural toys. 

Today, Maple Landmark operates from a 28,000-square-foot facility in Middlebury, Vermont, employing over 40 people and offering more than 1,000 products to gift shops and toy stores nationwide. Mike's son Adam joined the business in 2014, ensuring the family legacy continues. In 2025, the company expanded further with the acquisition of Green Mountain Tap Handles, a maker of custom tap handles for craft breweries, and Treeline Terrains, a maker of custom 3D wooden maps. 

What started more than 40 years ago with scraps from a grandfather's workshop is now more than 1,000 products, still designed and crafted in Vermont.