About New England Silica

Our History

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 1940s, Bellody saw an article that changed his life. It mentioned the Lantern Hill Sand Company in Ledyard, CT.

Recognizing an opportunity, John visited Lantem 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 by John's family, including his son Bob, who joined the company in 1967 and his grandson, Brian, along with the knowledgeable and dependable staff of New England Silica. lnc.

In the early 1970s, 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 three of top lines in the industry - Pavers by Ideal, Techo-Bloc, and Unilock. "Paver applications are everywhere," Bob Bellody says. "lt's a great product because it offers numerous styles and colors and stands up to the harsh New England weather."

75 Years in Business

The business is located on 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, New England Silica 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, the chemicals for cleaning and sealing pavers, low voltage landscape lighting, manufactured and natural stone veneers, and fireplaces and fire pits, are just a few of the products we have added over the years.

Our staff has an abundance of experience and knowledge 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 recently remodeled and installed new outdoor displays and expanded the indoor showroom. "It's important for our customers to see how our products can transform their homes, and we pride ourselves on offering our customers one stop shopping for their outdoor living areas."

"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. It all matters."