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Our History - Lyon & Billard Lumber Company
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Much like today,
the construction
industry of 1847
was booming in
Connecticut.
Lumber, in turn,
was the business
to be in—a fact
not overlooked
by John D.
Billard and
George W. Lyon.
Billard moved
from Old
Saybrook to
Meriden to join
Lyon in the
lumber business,
forming the
famous Lyon &
Billard. In
1878, Lyon &
Billard
incorporated the
lumber company.
Billard held the
office of
president until
his death in
1902. His son,
John L. Billard,
succeeded him.
Although Lyon &
Billard is a
family company,
there are no
family ties with
the original
founders. In
1923, A.J.
White, president
of the Tuxis
Metal and Coal
Co. and the Elm
City Coal Co.,
bought Lyon &
Billard for
$600,000 in
1923. In 1926,
Fred H. Billard,
son of John L.,
bought some of
the stock and
became a
director,
re-establishing
the Billard name
with the
company, at
least for a
while.
In the 1940s,
Leonard Goralnik
and Leonard Katz
acquired the
company from A.J.
White, a
relative by
marriage. Today,
the Goralnik
family still
owns and
operates Lyon &
Billard, with
Edd Goralnik as
President. Lyon
& Billard has
been more than
just a lumber
company and has
always strived
to offer the
best. The
company was once
a major
distributor of
anthracite coal
in the early
20th century. In
the mid-1930s,
Lyon & Billard
secured the
Meriden area
dealership for
“electric
Furnace Man,” a
thermostatically
controlled
automatic
apparatus for
operating a
furnace,
including
feeding coal
into the firebox
and removing the
ashes.
Of course, one
of the problems
with coal was
the dust it
created. Always
looking forward
in search of a
better way—not
to control just
the furnace but
the dust that
transporting
coal
produced—Lyon &
Billard brought
in washed coal
by gondola cars
to its own rail
siding. The
bottoms of these
cars would be
opened, dropping
the coal into a
concrete pit
below the
tracks. The
company then
used conveyor
belts to carry
the coal to
concrete silos
fifty feet high,
moving 50 tons
of coal in 45
minutes. But
most impressive
was the amount
of dust this
method of moving
coal reduced.
Besides its
commitment to
quality and
customer
service, Lyon &
Billard has
managed to
survive 156
years because of
its ability to
change with the
times. For
example, as the
preferred
heating resource
changed from
coal to oil,
Lyon & Billard
expanded its
lumber and
building
materials field,
including
retail.
If any one
incident in the
history of the
company
demonstrates its
strength and
Phoenix-like
ability, it is
the fire of
1934. The fire
burned through
the company’s
property,
killing one man
and causing
$250,000 in
damage. In the
same newspaper
that reported
the fire, the
people at Lyon &
Billard placed
an ad assuring
their clients
that the fire
would not affect
“business as
usual,” and all
material and
coal deliveries
would be on
schedule. They
kept that
promise. The
fire was but a
minor setback,
and Lyon &
Billard arose
from the ashes
and built a
larger and more
modern facility.
And from that
time, it has
continued to
expand and
improve its
location, when
necessary.
Lyon & Billard
was one of the
first to enhance
the look of
Meriden’s
downtown area
when, in 1957,
the company
completely
remodeled its
premises with
large plate
glass windows,
attractive
exterior,
well-illuminated
interior, air
conditioning,
modern display
areas, and
offices.
In 1974, a then
50-year-old coal
silo—the last of
its kind—in the
yard of Lyon &
Billard was torn
down to make
room for the
firm’s
ever-expanding
lumberyard.
Although the
silo had been a
kind of landmark
to Meriden, part
of Lyon &
Billard’s
resiliency is
knowing when to
move on. But by
1989, Lyon &
Billard had
completely
outgrown its
Hanover Street
location—its
home since 1947.
The Goralniks
moved their
Meriden
lumberyard to
Gypsy Lane,
giving them
about another
acre of much
needed breathing
room.
Today, Lyon &
Billard has 5
locations,
lumberyards in
Meriden,
Cheshire, East
Hampton and
Berlin, a
Kitchen & Bath
Showroom and
model home in
the Galleria
Design Center in
Middletown. One
might think that
the surge of
home improvement
chain stores
would hurt the
success of Lyon
& Billard. But
with over 3,000
contractors who
look to Lyon &
Billard as their
supplier and
with a strong
client base of
homeowners, the
company stands
unscathed.
There are
advantages you
can get at Lyon
& Billard that
you just can’t
get at a chain
store, such as
156 years of
knowledge, the
care that can
come only from a
family business,
a guarantee on
everything they
sell, and
impeccable
customer
service. And of
course, don’t
forget the free
delivery. In
1847, Lyon &
Billard
delivered its
customers’
materials on
horse-drawn
carts. Today,
Lyon & Billard
uses its fleet
of over 40
trucks,
including 12
boom trucks, to
provide free
delivery
anywhere in the
state—no matter
how large or
small the order.
Whatever the
future brings,
Lyon & Billard
will be there.
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(203) 235-4487
