True to our name, we distribute a full line of pavers and retaining walls throughout New England using our own fleet of self-unloading tractor trailers and straight trucks. In the late 1930's, John Bellody was picking up and selling natural brown sand from southern New Jersey and delivering it to the local mason supply companies. One day while reading the paper in the late 1940's, Bellody saw an a
rticle that changed his life. Recognizing an opportunity, John visited Lantern Hill, met with the owner, and offered to distribute the white quartz sand for plastering, stucco, and sand finished ceilings throughout New England. Beginning in Hartford with only a phone and a desk in a friend's auto radiator shop, he eventually set up a home office on his front porch in East Hartford. Soon he was busy delivering white sand to mason and building supply houses throughout the area. John worked hard to meet the needs of his customers and by the time he formed New England Silica in 1949 the company had built a reputation for delivering quality products and providing dependable service. Since moving to South Windsor in 1969, quality products and dependable service are still carried on today by John's family, including his son Bob, who joined the company in 1967, and his grandson, Brian, along with the rest of New England Silica's knowledgeable and dependable staff. In the early 1970's the company branched out into concrete pavers and retaining walls; along with a line of bulk and bagged decorative landscape stone for the lawn and garden industry. This diversification has enabled New England Silica to continue to grow. New England Silica was one of the first companies in New England to distribute concrete pavers and now carries two of the top lines in the industry - Pavers by Ideal and Techo-Bloc. "Paver applications are everywhere," Bob Bellody says. "It's a great product because it offers numerous styles and colors and stands up to the harsh New England weather." Now New England Silica is celebrating its 68th anniversary. The business is located on 3.5 acres in South Windsor and maintains one of the largest inventories in New England. Deliveries are made throughout New England. While the majority of work is with contractors, NES is open to the public and welcomes the opportunity to assist homeowners with do-it-yourself projects. New England Silica also has worked with many municipalities supplying pavers for streetscape projects. "We carry everything you need for a paver or retaining wall project," Bellody says. "Processed gravel, bedding sand, edge restraint, tools, and the chemicals for cleaning and sealing pavers are among our many stocked items." The company recently added landscape lighting as well as natural and manufactured veneer stone to their product line. "Our staff has an abundance of experience in the field. We can handle jobs from one pallet to numerous truckloads." Bellody and his staff do their best to keep business growing. They have recently remodeled a new design and display area that promotes manufactured and natural veneer stone as well as expanding a home's outside living area. "It's important for our customers to see how our products can transform their homes." "We've been very fortunate to have good employees," Bellody says. "We have employees who care about our customers and make every effort to assist them, whether it's at the counter, in our yard and warehouse, or when they're delivering our products.
