Maine should stop complaining. The state reaps what it sows.

Traveling to Fryeburg, I was surprised at the number of “No Nestle/No Poland Spring” and “No Tanker” signs adorning the telephone poles along the route. When I arrived at the fair in Fryeburg, what type of water do you think was being sold? Poland Spring, of course.

Don’t blame Poland Spring. The company needs a lot of water; it’s a victim of its own success. People don’t care that the corporate headquarters is in Switzerland, or that Fryeburg is ground zero for the water extraction debate. Now the panacea is a crippling tax on water that would kill small bottling businesses such as mine much quicker than it will ever affect Nestle Corp.

When I bought this company a year ago and began the arduous task of trying to resurrect a proud Maine brand, which dates back to the 1800s, I made a huge mistake. I greatly overestimated the support I would receive from Maine people. I am a member of the local chamber of commerce and have been from the very beginning. Out of nearly 400 local business members of the chamber, I can count the members that are my customers on one hand.

I think it’s time to stop blaming the large, successful water companies, because the reality is, we’ve created them and we continue to bolster their success.

N. Bryan Pullen, president, Summit Spring Water Inc., Harrison