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Another diverse company to call New Bedford home
Company to triple its size with the purchase of the
former Berkshire/Hathaway Mills on Cove St.
 New
Bedford, Mass. -- It is said that one man’s trash is
another man’s treasure, and for Harry and Jeanine James,
owners of New England Demolition & Salvage (NEDS), it is
a saying that their company swears by as they made their
way to the Whaling City to set up their new headquarters
with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on April 18th and grand
opening on April 22rd.
Opened in Wareham in May, 1998, NEDS started out with a
small 1,000-square-foot location that quickly grew into
a 40,000-square-foot business stuffed with claw foot
tubs, an assortment of mantles, shutters, radiators,
doors, windows, sinks and many other items pulled from
homes set to be demolished or updated. But the business
continued to grow.
After continued discussion of where they could go that
would allow them the space they needed to expand and
numerous talks with the city of New Bedford, the Jameses
recently purchased three mill buildings in the old
Berkshire/Hathaway Mills on Cove St. Of the combined
230,000-square feet for all three buildings, NEDS will
occupy 120,000-square-feet, triple their previous site,
which will allow them increased space for their retail
showroom and storage.
“We had outgrown our previous building in Wareham and
were looking for a place to expand but there was nothing
available in that area,” said Jeannine. “New Bedford
came to us and was excited to have us come to the city.”
Jeanine said their Wareham site had become so crowded,
that they had begun to turn items away due to lack of
space, but they will have no such problems at their new
site, although moving the inventory required 36
semi-trailer trucks.
Developer Roland Letendre who sold the mill complex
said, “The New Bedford Economic Development Council
played a central role in making this happen. I cannot
say enough about the increased level of service we
received this year from the NBEDC.”
The experience with working with the New Bedford
Economic Development Council and other local businesses
has helped make their move an easy transition, Jeanine
added.
“They helped to put the whole package together for us,”
said Jeanine, who also received assistance from BankFive
and the Small Business Association to financially seal
the deal. “This was a collaborative effort.”
In addition to their own salvage business, Jeanine said
they will also be bringing in a number of antique
dealers to set up shop within their new retail showroom
to help provide more choices for people coming in to
shop.
“People may not be coming here specifically looking for
antiques, but they will find them,” James added. “We
work closely with New Bedford Antiques at the Cove. We
really work together in this business.”
Mayor Scott W. Lang said that NEDS is just another one
of many examples of what can happen when organizations
work together to promote the city and its business
development.
He said, “It’s great to see the mills of this city
reused for thriving business. New Bedford is becoming a
center for valued antiques especially now with the
addition of these reusable architectural items that
otherwise would meet their demise. We welcome Harry and
Jeanine James and wish them every success.”
James said she expects to hire at least two full-time
associates and one part-time in their New Bedford
location, and eventually an entire crew, depending on
its success.
NEDS will be open Thursday to Monday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The city is fortunate to be chosen by the New England
Demolition and Salvage for their new home. Not only is
it a unique business, but with its recycling grant from
the Department of Environment Protection, it is an
important link in the area of alternative energy”
commented Matthew A. Morrissey, executive director of
the New Bedford Economic Development Council.
New England Demolition and Salvage qualified for a
$55,000 NSTAR Gas energy efficiency rebate by opting to
install high-efficiency, natural gas space heaters. By
taking advantage of the commercial programs, NEDS was
able to reduce the installation and operating costs of
their new heating equipment, according to NSTAR Media
Relations representative Mike Durand. The rebate will be
presented at the ribbon cutting ceremonies.
The salvage company can also expect to see annual
natural gas savings of over 30,000 therms, which will
translate into about $40,000 in savings each year. For
more information about NSTAR's energy efficiency
programs, visit www.nstar.com.
NEDS has worked with a number of TV and movie sets in
both Providence and Boston providing salvaged items for
shows, and their 450 claw foot bathtubs were featured on
the cover of the Jan/Feb. 2004 “This Old House
Magazine”. They will also be part of an upcoming History
Channel documentary on a salvaging operation that took
place at the Avalon Mansion in Newport. |
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