About Us
Named after a one time farm off Harland Road in Norwich, CT, where George and his uncles farmed and the namesake Shagbark Hickory trees were prevalent on the land. Shagbark incorporated in November of 1985, began on the corner of Route 82 and Mt. Parnassus Road, on the dairy farm owned and operated by George “Bud” Laskowsky. Fred Hunt and George began Shagbark as a farm supply store selling large animal feed to the local farming community. For many years one entered the store by ascending large circular steps which were formed by the foundation of the original silo. Once inside, you were in the milking parlor. Though the circular steps are gone today, the original barn remains evident, and farm supplies continue as an important part of the Shagbark formula. Fred and George had the idea that if they met the needs of the community, and offered excellent customer service and products at a fair price, Shagbark would thrive and so it has!
Long hours and hard work defined Shagbark in those days. Fred ran the store with Bud all day and made deliveries every night after closing. Fred and Bud slowly added inventory as the community requested and the sales increased. By the end of 1986, our first full year in business, our gross sales were about 250,000.00; not earth shattering but hopeful. In those days Joanna would come in and hand sort all the invoices and each month she and Uncle Bud would tally customer bills hand write statements. In 1987 we began looking for ways to increase our sales and in 1988 we joined Ace Hardware. This began a steady progression of growth. By the early 1990’s Joanna “Jody” Hunt came on full time to oversee the back office and accounts receivable billing. Sadly, however, we carry on with out Bud, as he passed away in December of 1991.
Shagbark Lumber & Farm Supplies, Inc.:
Early in 1994, after the local lumber yard closed, Shagbark purchased its first load of lumber, added Lumber to our name, and began the steady climb toward the Shagbark you see today. During this time, we put up five new buildings to house inventory, purchased eleven delivery trucks including a tractor trailer and boom truck.
Shagbark today:
Although we are always focused on growth, we still operate under our original credo: Begin each day believing the customer is always right, and we are here because the customer has paid the bills thus far. A second credo: “be known by our good works in the community”. In fulfilling these credos each and every one of us must do more than is asked of us everyday; and change before we are forced to change. The challenges we face daily, combined with keeping up with the pace of change in an ever encroaching business landscape, require us to be always vigilant, positive and aggressive. We look forward to receiving your advice and suggestions throughout your tenure here. Our belief is that if we encourage the staff to improve and grow, our staff will improve and grow our business.
We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry.
Location:
1 Mount Parnassus Road
East Haddam, CT 06423
- From Hartford: Follow Route 9 South to Exit 7. Take a left off the exit ramp which is Route 154 North. At the next light turn right onto Route 82 East, follow Rroute 82 until you get to the "T" intersection of Routes 151 and 82. Take a right and then an immediate left onto Mt. Parnassus Rd. We are located at this corner.
- From Norwich: Follow Route 82 past Salem Four Corners and Hadlyme Four Corners. Continue on Route 82 to Mt. Parnassus Road. We are located at this corner.
- From Colchester: Follow Route 16 West to Route 149, make a left onto Route 149 South. In Moodus Center take a left onto Route 151 (Town Road) and continue to a stop sign at the intersection of Route 82. We are just ahead on the left, at the corner of Mt. Parnassus Rd and Route 82.
Hours of operation:
Regular hours: 7 AM to 6PM M-F Sat. 8 AM to 4 PM
Winter Hours: Dec. 1 to Mar 10 M-F 7 AM to 5 PM
