Allan Appel Photo
Monday’s ribbon-cutting.
The P.O. box never left our town when the Bilco Company, most probably the maker of your great basement doors, fled New Haven in 1953 for West Haven.
Now the still-family-owned company, which launched in 1926 on Hallock Street, is coming home — well, at least its executive offices are.
The company’s 65 office employees of the company now work at 370 James St., where the company set up shop on Memorial Day and added its name to the marquee at James and Lombard streets in Fair Haven.
On Monday morning Bilco Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Roger F. Joyce, a grandson of founder George W. Lyons, Sr., helped Mayor Toni Harp cut a red ribbon with giant blue scissors to mark a “welcome home” ceremony.
To demonstrate commitment to its new community, the company, through the United Way, made a $5,000 contribution to the Fair Haven Community Health Center
“We’ve always been affiliated with New Haven,” said the company’s president, Tom Crowley. “And have been only a golf shot away.”
“A five iron,” added Joyce.
Fair Haven Health Center’s Dr. Sue Lagarde with Crowley.
Last summer staying a five-iron away became dicier as the company’s executive offices were slated for redevelopment as part of “The Haven,” a West Haven high-end retail development on Water Street, where Bilco had resided for six decades.
The actual manufacturing of the company’s doors, hatches, and other security products has for years now been done in Zanesville, Ohio and Truman, Arkansas, said Crowley.
Crowley said West Haven’s mayor and development officials looked high and low for new office space for Bilco. Nothing was quite right.
Photo of the West Haven site hangs in the new New Haven lobby.
When Bilco officials called New Haven — Joyce and Crowley said they looked only in the “Havens,” — 370 State Street, owned by the Acorn Group, emerged.
The company needed 12,000 square feet all on the same floor, proximity to I‑91, and sufficient parking.
When the landlord combined two offices on the second floor of 370 James, a deal was done. Officials said Monday that the city did not offer any financial breaks to the company for the move.
Downtown viewed from Bilco lobby overlooking the 370 James St. parking lot.
Having all the employees on the same floor is a requirement because “the less time a piece of paper has to be handled, the more efficient you are,” said Crowley.
The offices that Bilco vacated in West Haven were distributed over four floors, Crowley added. The manufacturing, when it was done on that site, had all been on a single floor. The idea now is to take the manufacturing efficiency model and apply it to the new offices, he said.
In the green-painted and new-carpet smelling spaces, incoming calls, customer services, engineering, and financial departments are all close by.
The new Bilco office spaces.
Crowley says the new offices are working out splendidly.
The mayor reported she has Bilco doors at her house and loves them.
Joyce said there are no plans to add any employees to the 65-person workforce.
And there are no plans to move manufacturing, which began in New Haven, back home. “Not at this time,” said Crowley.
Note for history buffs: The Bilco name is not, alas, related to Sgt. Bilko, in any event spelled differently (!), the character of the Phil Silvers TV show that was popular at the time of the company’s move to West Haven.
The name was assembled by the company’s founder, George Lyons, Sr. He had a company called Builders Iron; his name was Lyons. Add the “Co,” and, presto, “Bilco,” explained Joyce.
In addition to himself, Joyce said two other grandchildren of the founder are still affiliated with the company: Robert Lyons, Jr. and Paula Griffin.
The P.O. box never left our town when the Bilco Company, most probably the maker of your great basement doors, fled New Haven in the 1953 for West Haven.
Snake-Oil being sold.Some people in West Haven told me they was force out due to the took over of West Haven by the Gentrification Vampires who want to build a upscale mall.In fact some home owners may be Also forced out.