Sunnycrest
History
Sunnycrest, Inc. is a
manufacturing and service business. We manufacture, deliver, and service precast concrete
products. These products include such items as burial vaults, septic tanks, manholes,
catch basins, utility & drainage structures, and well tile. In addition, we also sell
a number of accessories for the products we manufacture. Some of these accessories are
plastic pipe, pumps, control panels, alarms, frames & grates, and filter units.
Sunnycrest has two locations. Our main manufacturing plant and office is located at 58
Prospect Street in Auburn, NY. We also have a smaller burial vault manufacturing plant
located on Ontario Street in Mexico, NY.
The business was started as a livery service in the 1940's by Kenneth Wellman. Part of
his business involved providing service to funeral homes, so the progression to making
concrete burial vaults began there. He started manufacturing and delivering concrete
burial vaults in the 1950's on the same site that we currently occupy. Within a few years,
he also started making concrete septic tanks.
Lowell 'Pete' W. Atkinson, purchased the business in 1968. In 1977 he bought the
building and property. Sunnycrest continued making burial vaults and septic tanks, and
also started selling leach field pipe.
In July of 1978, he purchased Marsellus Vault & Sales Co. (owned by Marsellus
Casket Company), and integrated it into Sunnycrest. With that purchase came a franchise
license with Wilbert, Inc., a national company considered to be the
'Leader' in the
burial vault business. Wilbert, Inc. provides it's licensees with exclusive sales
territories, manufacturing supplies, promotional & advertising materials, and field
services. All Wilbert licensees must adhere to a very strict set of specifications, which
Wilbert checks regularly.
Bob Atkinson joined the firm full time after graduating from Syracuse University in
1978. He serves as President. His brother, Bill, came on board in December of
1985, and is Vice President. Pete retired in 1986, however he continued to act in an
advisory capacity for a few years after that. He is now deceased.
Over the past several years, Sunnycrest has started manufacturing many other precast
concrete products, and has added several different types of plastic pipe and other
products/accessories to it's product line. Sunnycrest's customers include funeral directors,
general contractors, home builders, municipalities, paving contractors,
surveyors, landscapers, and excavators. We also deal regularly with engineers,
architects, and other specifiers.
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