SEE IT YEAR THAT MAKE THE JOB WORTH IT. ♪ >> LOBSTER. I WILL DO TO AND TWO FOR YOU. GETTING FLOUNDER GOOD LAST WEEKEND. >> AT DEFIANT LOBSTER COMPANY, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAMILY AFFAIR. >> WE HAVE ONE COMING IN TOMORROW. I THINK WE WILL BE ALL SET UNTIL THEN. >> PETER TILTON SENIOR PULLED HIS FINAL TRAPS LAST YEAR. >> FIRST TRAPS I SAID WAS 73 YEARS AGO. ♪ >> I STARTED OUT ON THE FIRST LICENSE, IT WAS A FIVE TRAP LICENSE, MORE OR LESS OF A PASTIME, YOU KNOW. PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE IF THEY COULD SELL LOBSTER, SO I DID THAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. AND THEN I BRANCHED RIGHT OUT. FROM 40, 280, 290 POUNDS. >> UP UNTIL PROBABLY EIGHT OR 10 YEARS AGO, HE WAS GOING BY HIMSELF AND JUST VERY, VERY INDEPENDENT AT IT. SOME PEOPLE LOVE IT. I THINK HE HAD IT IN HIS BLOOD, HE HAD TO DO IT, HE HAD TO DO IT. >> JOANNE IS THE PEOPLE PERSON OF THE GROUP. SHE STARTED THE FAMILY BUSINESS WITH JUST TWO BUCKETS OF LOBSTERS BACK IN THE EARLY 1980’S. >> I DECIDED I WOULD SEE IF I COULD SELL LOBSTERS. SO, WE NEVER REALLY ADVERTISED. WORD OF MOUTH. AND OUR CARDS. I WOULD SWIPE THE CARDS AT THE LAUNDROMAT AND DIFFERENT STORES. PEOPLE I WOULD SEE, I WOULD GIVE THEM OUR CARD DEFIANT LOBSTER COMPANY. BECAUSE DEFIANT WAS AFTER. PEOPLE SAY WHY IS IT THE DEFIANT? WE ARE NOT DEFIANT, AND THE LOBSTERS ARE NOT DEFIANT, IT WAS THE NAME OF OUR BOAT >> DEFIANT HAS GROWN QUITE A BIT SINCE THEN. LOBSTERS, OYSTERS, STEAMERS, AND BAIT. >> THE HAMPTON RIVER INTO OUR TANKS, SO YOU CANNOT GET THEM ANY FRESHER. AND THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. ANYTHING FRESH MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. [INAUDIBLE] >> NOW PETE SENIOR AND JOANN SPEND THEIR DAYS CATCHING UP ON THE NEWS AND ANSWERING THE SHOP PHONE WHILE PETE JUNIOR HANDLES THE DAY IN THE SHOP. ♪ >> WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, IT IS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WHEN THEY LEAVE THEIR HAPPY WHEN THEY COME, THEY ARE HAPPY WHEN THEY LEAVE. IT IS NOT THE MOST LUCRATIVE THING, BUT IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. AT THIS POINT, IT IS ALL I KNOW AND I’M NOT ENDING ON DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT I WILL DO IT AS LONG AS I CANTERED I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, THEY SAY ARE YOU GOING TO RETIRE? I SAY I’M GOING TO ASK FOR AN AFTERNOON OFF THE DAY I DIE FOR MY FUNERAL. , ON OUT, LITTLE GOD. -- LITTLE GUY. ♪ >> LOOKING FOR A LOBSTER DINNER, BUT YOU ARE NOT NEAR THE COAST? HAVE NO FEAR, JOHN LANDERS AT NORTH LAND LOBSTER COMPANY DOES THE DRIVING. >> BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN CONWAY, 197 WEST MAIN STREET, BEEN HERE 43 YEARS. LIKE I SAID, IT STARTED IN A 13 BY 13 AND IT STARTED WITH A PARTNER. WE JUST DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO DO WHOLESALE, ALL OF A SUDDEN, CUSTOMERS WANTED TO BUY ONE OR TWO. SO THEN WE ADDED ON, WE JUST GREW, GREW FAST. FASTER THAN WE UP WE SHOULD HAVE, BUT WE DID. THIS IS THE 13 BY 13 SHED WE FIRST STARTED WITH BACK WITH NO DIGITAL SCALE. >> JOHN’S FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH LOBSTERS CAME WHEN HE WAS IN AUTO SCHOOL IN MANCHESTER AND TOOK A JOB AT A LOBSTER RESTAURANT >> WHEN I STARTED I WAS AFRAID OF THE LOBSTER, I WOULD PICK IT UP LIKE THIS. THE BOSS SAID YOU’VE EITHER GOT TO LEARN TO PICK THEM UP RIGHT OR YOU CANNOT STAY HERE. I SAID I GUESS I HAD BETTER CATCH ON. ♪ >> NOW, HE HAS HELD MORE LOBSTERS THAN HE CAN COUNT AND HAS BECOME A FIXTURE IN THE COMMUNITY OF CONWAY. >> HOW WAS YOUR DAY GOING, GOOD? I THINK IT IS THE PUBLIC THAT KEEPS IT GOING. THEY BECOME YOUR FAMILY. THEY KNOW THEY CAN BUY IN VOLUME AND THE TOURISTS, WHEN THEY COME UP YHERE, THAT’S A GOOD FEELING. I’M NOT TALKING JUST CONNECTICUT, BUT PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER AND IT IS JUST A FANTASTIC THING. IT IS A GREAT FEELING. ♪ >> A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO LET PEOPLE HANDLE THEIR LOBSTERS. THAT IS THE EXCITEMENT OF IT ALL. YOU GOT LITTLE KIDS COMING IN, A COUPLE ARE SCREAMING AND HOLLERING BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID. OTHERS WANT TO TOUCH THEM. LET THEM EXPERIENCE THAT FEELING. I GREW UP AND HAD NEVER EVEN SEEN A LOBSTER, SO IT IS GREAT. >> JOHN IS NOT SURE HOW LONG HE WILL BE IN THE LOBSTER BUSINESS. HE SAYS HE LIKES TO TAKE THINGS DAY BY DAY, EVEN IF THOSE DAYS INCLUDE A 4:30 START AND A FOUR AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE TO GET THE LOBSTERS FROM THE COAST OF MAINE TO HIS TANKS. >> I WAS GOING TO RETIRE LAST YEAR AND MY FIRST TRIP THIS YEAR , I’M DRIVING TO THE COAST. YOU KNOW, COFFEE IN THE HAND, RADIO, I STARTED LAUGHING TO MYSELF, YOU MUST REALLY LOVE THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE HERE I AM AGAIN. AND I DO, I REALLY DO LIKE IT. I THINK IT IS A STOCK MARKET. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE ON TOP OF WHAT IS GOING ON. EVERY THREE DAYS, YOU BETTER BE ON THAT PHONE. >> DOZEN LITTLE NEXT. >> 43 YEARS I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING, OTHERWISE I AM JUST GETTING OLD. WHAT I LOVE IT, I REALLY DO. ALIVE IN. -- ALIVE AND KICKING. I’VE COME A LONG WAYS. WHETHER I MADE ANY MONEY OR NOT, I’VE HAD A GOOD TIME. ♪