About us
Meet the Owners
Benjamin and Jessica Marking are the owners of Pinckletink Chimney Service and manage their small, family-run business out of Norway, Maine.
Benjamin bought Pinckletink Chimney Service at the end of 2019 from Bill and Beth Rice, who started it in1999. After 20 years of servicing Western Maine chimneys, they decided to retire and sold the company to Benjamin. We hired some help in the fall of 2020 and our team has
continued to grow since.
We became an LLC in 2021 and officially added Jessica as an owner in 2024. As a small, locally-owned business we are so thankful for the team that we work with and the support of our customers.
Meet the Crew
Casey
Office Manager
Cheryl
Customer Service Representative II
Hope
Lead Chimney Inspection Technician
What’s a Pinckletink?
Everyone always asks where our name came from or what a Pinckletink is. Well, here in Maine, we all know what “spring peepers” are, they’re those little frogs chirping as spring really gets going. “Pinkletinks” are what they’re called in Martha’s Vineyard. The previous owner of Pinckletink Chimney Service had a childhood connection to Martha’s Vineyard.
When they started their chimney company here in Maine, they wanted a unique name that would stand out. They used some creative license and added a ‘c’ to the word pinkletink and so began Pinckletink Chimney Service. When we bought the company, we just couldn’t let that unique name go, so we kept it, and now we’ve incorporated a frog into our logo to bring it full circle.
Education & Safety
Education is a huge part of our company. Whether it be in training our staff or
enlightening our customers regarding their chimneys, education and safety is the goal. On Bill’s recommendation we went to our first Chimney Expo in early 2020. We learned so much! We decided then that we would continue to go to industry trainings as often as possible to increase our knowledge, so we could make our customers and their homes safer!
We require chimney certifications for our inspectors and encourage other team
members to pursue them as well. Benjamin has been certified since 2020 as a Certified Chimney Professional and Certified Chimney Reliner, both of which are now accredited certifications.
We joined the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) in 2021 and the Northeast
Association of Chimney & Hearth Professionals (NEACHP) in 2023. As members of these guilds and holders of these certifications, we have committed to being held to a higher standard, and we take that very seriously.
Part of participating in industry training is that it has further opened our eyes to the
importance of safety. Creosote is a dangerous, carcinogenic substance, and chimney sweeps have a long history of dealing with cancer. Our employees are required to wear protective equipment in the form of gloves and respirators to help protect them from the ill effects of the soot and creosote they work with every day. Sometimes, they even have to wear soot suits for an extra layer of protection. It can be hot and uncomfortable, but it’s worth it to ensure our team members are safe.
We are often up on a roof, scaffolding, or a boom lift, and we take fall protection
seriously. You will likely see at least one crew member with a harness and climbing
helmet when they are at your home.
Our Vision
Our standards are excellence and safety. We are committed to providing products with the best quality possible.
Core Values
Your home, protected.
We know your home is your haven and having someone working with dirty soot and creosote inside your space can be stressful.
Our goal is to leave your home in just as good of condition as we found it, if not in better condition. When we are in your homes, we are going to put down runners and drop cloths, as well as run vacuum(s) to help minimize that concern and protect your space. The crew will even wear booties, at your discretion.
We maintain liability insurance to help protect your home when we are working in it.