Honor JAY-K Lumber Anniversary

Senate Resolution No. 2833 BY: Senator GRIFFO COMMEMORATING the 80th Anniversary of JAY-K Independent Lumber, Corp. WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to commemorate the long histories of certain family-owned business endeavors, which are the cornerstone of economic success in this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of JAY-K Independent Lumber, Corp.; and WHEREAS, Founded in 1937 by Joseph T. Kelly and Thomas Jones, JAY-K Lumber has grown to be a full-service independent retail lumber and building materials business; and WHEREAS, The name JAY-K Lumber originated from the initials of the co-founders, who had previously been in various businesses under the names of Jones and Kelly and "Jonelly Contracting"; the Independent part of the name came from the fact that JAY-K Lumber was not a member of a monopoly or combine, which showed favoritism to select groups; and WHEREAS, In 1938, the business moved to its present location, a property that was owned by Joseph Kelly; three years later, Thomas Jones sold his interest in the business to the Kelly family, and branch lumberyards were opened in Sylvan Beach, Clinton, and Mohawk, New York; and WHEREAS, During World War II, JAY-K Lumber was engaged in defense work; millwork shops in both New Hartford and Clinton made boxes for rifles produced by the Savage Arms Company and Remington Arms Company; with the return of veterans to the workforce following the war, it expanded with the purchase of larger and more diverse trucks and updated buildings to handle mechanized operations; and WHEREAS, In the late 1940s, as the business continued to grow and provide a family environment workplace for its employees, members of the Teamsters and Carpenters Unions picketed JAY-K Lumber daily for seven years in an attempt to organize; even though outside delivery trucks were turned away, customers and employees remained loyal, and business continued to expand; and WHEREAS, On November 11, 1972, Joseph Kelly died, and the business was succeeded by his three sons, Kevin, Christopher and Stephen; they implemented the drive-through concept of retailing lumber with an improved yard and signage, becoming one of the first yards in the country to merchandise building materials using this method; and WHEREAS, Over the next decade, JAY-K Lumber continued to improve, with the installation of computers and the founding of Cabinet and Cupboards, Inc. to merchandise kitchen cabinets; today, JAY-K Cabinet, as it is now called, has stores in both New Hartford and Syracuse; and WHEREAS, On August 25, 1978, a fire destroyed the building used to store JAY-K Lumber's millwork; 12 volunteer fire companies worked diligently to bring the fire under control without any serious injuries; and WHEREAS, Through the tireless efforts of its employees who cleaned and guarded the open yard, business continued as usual the next morning; and WHEREAS, Throughout the 1980s, JAY-K Lumber added larger drive-through buildings, a building office, additional store space, a yard office, and a drive-up window; during this time, it also extended store hours to include Sundays; and WHEREAS, In 1988, JAY-K Lumber was proudly voted Business of the Year by the Utica Area Chamber of Commerce; unfortunately, Stephen Kelly passed away at the young age of 45 in 1989; and WHEREAS, During the 1990s, JAY-K Lumber was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including Retailer of the Year by Building Supply Home Centers; the business continued to make store and yard improvements, and introduced the Lighting Department; in 1997, it purchased Utica Paint and integrated it into the store; and WHEREAS, Upon the retirement of Kevin and Christopher Kelly in 2000, their sons, Dean and Jonas became the third generation to oversee JAY-K Lumber; as President and Vice President respectively, they took over store leadership in 2001, and reorganized with a new management team; and WHEREAS, In 2006, JAY-K Lumber was once again recognized as Business of the Year by the Utica Area Chamber of Commerce, and received a 2006 and 2007 FastTrack 50 Award; in November of 2008, the CNY Retail Lumber Dealers honored JAY-K Lumber as Retailer of the Year; and WHEREAS, Today, top quality products, and personal and professional service, continue to be the mainstays of JAY-K Lumber; contractors depend on it for high-quality products, and retail customers depend on it for exemplary customer service; and WHEREAS, Dedicated to its community, JAY-K Lumber graciously supports several local charitable organizations such as the United Way, Oneida County Habitat for Humanity, the Stanley Theater Expansion Fund, the St. Elizabeth Hospital Emergency Wing expansion, the Miracle Home and other initiatives of Faxton/St. Luke's Healthcare; and WHEREAS, Under the luminous leadership of President, Kevin Kelly, and Vice President, Jonas Kelly, JAY-K Lumber looks forward to many more years of continued excellence and growth serving the residents of the City of Utica, and the surrounding areas; and WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body acknowledges this exceptional business and its contributions to the local and State economies, fully confident that it will continue to enjoy the sparkling successes it has experienced thus far; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of JAY-K Independent Lumber Corp.; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Kevin Kelly, President, and Jonas Kelly, Vice President, JAY-K Independent Lumber, Corp.