About Excelsior Lumber Company

Excelsior Lumber Company did not start as a lumber company when it was first established in 1880 by Benjamin B. Demarest. Located on the banks of the Pequannock River in Butler, New Jersey, the then Excelsior Factory manufactured all kinds of premium excelsior—a material used exclusively in mattresses—from poplar, spruce, basswood, butternut, willow, and white pine cone woods. In 1912, the company was purchased by Walter K Wildes and Guy C Cleveland and incorporated as the North Jersey Excelsior Company.

Seven years after the mill was tragically burned down in 1915, Leo Lust bought the land from North Jersey Excelsior Company and established the Excelsior Lumber Company. The first sawmill was erected in 1926, and by 1930, a lumber and building material yard was opened near the Butler train tracks, allowing them to receive large shipments directly from the trains into the yard. Around this time, Lust and his son, John Lust, also expanded the Excelsior empire to include a first-call mill and shop.

In 1971, Excelsior Lumber Company was sold to Gerry Meany, who continued operating it as a mill, hardware store, and lumberyard for more than 45 years. The business continued to operate from trailers while the factory was undergoing reconstruction after a tragic fire accident in the mid-80s. Towards the end of the 80s, the lumber company once again changed ownership to Bob Kaslander Sr. and his son, Bob Kaslander Jr. They discontinued millwork and rebuilt the store into what we now know as Excelsior Lumber Company.

Three decades later, Excelsior Lumber Company is one of New Jersey’s leading lumber yards, hardware stores, and outdoor living centers. In 2004, we even expanded our footprint to include a successful kitchen and bath design showroom to better assist and inspire homeowners across the state.