SOMERS, N.Y. - For nearly nine decades, Lawton Adams Materials, Supplies, & Recycling has been a fixture in Somers. Over the years, it has grown from a modest firewood and coal business into a major supplier of construction materials, landscaping products and recycling services.
Now, with a new facility at its longtime Route 100 location and a third generation of family leadership helping guide its future, the company is building on its legacy while preparing for the years ahead.
The family-owned business recently opened a roughly 9,000-square-foot building at 260 Route 100, doubling the size of its previous facility next door. The new space includes offices, a showroom and a warehouse that occupies approximately half the building. Visitors are greeted with a smile and possibly a sniff from Lucy, the adorable shop dog.
For Jesse Adams Sarnoff, one of the third-generation family members helping lead the company, the expansion represents more than additional space.
“It’s a true investment into the future,” Sarnoff said.
Founded in 1939, Lawton Adams is entering its 87th year in business. The company traces its roots to Lawton Adams Sr., who began selling firewood and coal from the back of his pickup truck to residents of Somers and neighboring communities during the years following the Great Depression. After serving four years in the Air Force during World War II in Europe, Lawton Sr. was able to acquire his first machine with a GI loan. One of his favorite quotes was: “That machine wasn’t high-tech, but it sure beat the hell out of loading trucks by hand.”
After years of keeping the business going through tough times, Lawton Sr.'s eldest son and daughter, Kenneth and Lenore, brought additional work ethic and intellect to the growing business.
Through hard work and a growing reputation for reliability, Adams expanded into site work and eventually established a sprawling supply yard along Route 100.
Today, the company operates on approximately 20 acres, offering construction aggregates, landscaping and masonry materials, power tools, winter ice control products and recycling services.
While its customer base consists primarily of contractors, homeowners are also welcome to purchase materials and supplies.
The new showroom provides additional space for an expanded selection of products, including professional-grade tools from Milwaukee and Hilti.
“We’ve added more products,” Lawton Adams said, noting that the company's tool selection includes items customers might not find at a typical big-box home improvement store.
The company also supplies seasonal products, including ice melt and rock salt during the winter months.
Along with the expanded showroom and warehouse, the new facility features a redesigned entrance and exit intended to improve traffic flow for customers and vehicles moving through the busy property.
The company is also considering offering smaller deliveries to homeowners in the future, potentially expanding its reach beyond its traditional contractor clientele.
Despite its growth, Lawton Adams has maintained the close-knit atmosphere of a family business.
Approximately 30 employees work for the company, including several longtime staff members whose careers span more than three decades.
The next generation of leadership includes Sarnoff, Nick Adams and Briana Adams, who are helping shape the company's future while continuing the traditions established by their grandfather.
For the family, working together brings different perspectives and experiences to the business.
“We all have different backgrounds and bring different things to the table,” Lawton Adams said.
Briana Adams also appreciates the independence and personal connections that come with working in a family-owned operation.
“So much better than working for corporate,” she said.
While the new building represents the most visible sign of the company's continued evolution, another important part of its business takes place outside the showroom.
Recycling has become a significant component of Lawton Adams' operations, with the company processing construction and demolition debris and transforming discarded materials into products that can be used again.
“A big part of what we do is solid waste. Every cubic yard we bring in, we repurpose. Every product gets recycled,” Lawton Adams said.
Materials such as concrete, brick and brush are brought to the company's yard, where they are processed and repurposed rather than discarded in landfills or illegally dumped.
Nick Adams also stressed the facility's repurposing of asphalt, the most recycled material in the country.
According to Briana Adams, the operation helps reduce the need to extract new raw materials while limiting the environmental impacts associated with transporting them over long distances.
The resulting recycled aggregates provide customers with more affordable options for construction and landscaping projects while helping the environment.
The company also sees its recycling services as a way to help keep the surrounding community clean while addressing the substantial volume of waste generated by construction and demolition projects.
The emphasis on recycling reflects how far the business has evolved since its beginnings selling firewood and coal.
Over the decades, Lawton Adams has diversified into landscaping and masonry supplies, earthmoving services and specialized work for the equestrian community, including riding arenas and horse farm site preparation.
Yet even as the business has expanded, its identity remains firmly tied to Somers.
Every generation of the family that has owned the company has grown up in the town, maintaining a connection to the community that has supported the business since 1939.
Simply put, Lawton Adams has grown alongside Somers.
That relationship extends beyond the company's commercial operations. Lawton Adams is also known locally for its annual Christmas light display, a seasonal tradition familiar to motorists traveling along Route 100.
With a larger facility, an expanding product selection and a new generation taking on leadership responsibilities, the company is looking ahead while maintaining the family values that have sustained it for nearly nine decades.
For Lawton Adams, the new building is both a reflection of how much the business has grown and a foundation for what comes next.
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