by Bea Peterson
“Everything happens for a reason,” said Mike Bacon, standing at the entrance of his state of the art 5,000 square foot business office, garage and repair shop on South Street in Hoosick. It was almost two years ago he got a call that there was a damaging fire at his former Spicer Road location. Bacon took what was a business setback and used it as an opportunity to develop the 100 acre property he owned on South Street. “We needed space for equipment and expansion,” he said. “And this was the ideal spot.” It was an opportunity for him to build the operation he always dreamed of building in the town where he grew up, where he started his logging and excavation business. [private]”It’s centrally located to everything,” he added. The property has enabled R.M. Bacon LLC not only to continue to serve its existing customers but also to expand into more lines of business such as large scale firewood processing, mulch, sand, gravel, top soil and other aggregate production and distribution. And the views are spectacular!
There is a big black and white sign on South Street indicating the business location. However, no sign of the business is visible from the road. “We worked very hard with the architect to do that,” said Bacon. Drive up the dirt road, and it is a different world. On one side of the road there are salt sheds, huge sand and gravel piles, wood piles in various stages and equipment. On the opposite side is the super-sized building he and his crew built themselves. The 14 foot overhead doors allow plenty of space for the heavy equipment to enter. While there is a variety of big equipment at work on the top of the hill at various times, it is unobtrusive to the residents down the road. “We’ve checked,” he said. “You can’t hear the backup alarms on the heavy equipment [used up here] down on South Street.”
Among other things, the building has a back-up generator. It allows the company to ensure its commercial and residential snow and tree removal clients that R.M. Bacon will always be able to keep its equipment working at times when others may be paralyzed by a power outage due to storm damage.
In the office area, Bacon admits to not being computer savvy. But he has had to learn quickly. “Most corporations want pictures, and we have to comply,” he said. An up to date computer system allows the company to accept credit cards. One of Bacon’s next steps is to have a web page created.
R.M. Bacon’s services include providing sand and gravel to individuals as well as corporations. Folks can come up and get a load of gravel or firewood or have it delivered. “In the winter we distribute salt to other contractors at all hours,” Bacon said. His firewood and bark mulch comes from cutting hazardous trees for the State of New York and from clearing jobs. “All the tree is used,” he said.
In the winter commercial snow plowing is the company’s staple. “Snowy New England winters are so important to so many businesses,” said Bacon. Two years ago he employed 14 people to keep up with the snow. Last winter he employed two. “I have to remain optimistic,” said Bacon. “There are too many pessimists as it is.”
In the coming years Bacon plans to continue to use the location as his base of operation. He wants it to be a catalyst to further grow his business and to continue to support the local economy and community as he has always done. He will do that through hiring and supporting other local businesses and organizations.
A patriotic soul at heart, Bacon puts up an enormous flag near the Company sign for all the American holidays.
Bacon had originally planned to put houses on the South Street property. He has found using it as a business site much more beneficial. One day, he said, he may build a home of his own at the very top, but that’s a long way off.
For more details on R.M. Bacon, contact Mike Bacon at 518-686-5996 or email him at rmbaconllc@yahoo.com.
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