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Article published courtesy of the Milton Times
Business                                                      January 30, 2003
Long Family History at Will Sand/Canton
                                                                                            By Suzette Martinez Standring

Tony Will and Terry Driscoll		 Rocks, gravel and sand transform into stately edifices, stadiums and decorative garden "hardscape." Will Sand/Canton President Terry Driscoll envisions this in the 100,000 tons of raw materials processed annually at Will Sand/Canton located at 125 Turnpike Street.

"Taking gravel out of the ground, we run it through the plant for processing. Some of it comes out as sand used as mortar for buildings, while washed stone has many uses, including drainage," he said.
Trucked in from Bristol County pits to the Canton plant, raw materials are washed, screened and sized, and later destined for the One Lincoln Street building project and the Big Dig.

Tony Will, business partner and company treasurer, develops the creative end of business, such as engraving benches or boulders with corporate logos, as well herb garden markers, stepping stones and awards. "GPS address stones" are engraved with the global position of longitude and latitude of any address in the world.

"We can engrave any kind of surface: granite, bluestone and now we’re getting into glass engraving. Another area I manage is our computer web presence (www.willsand.com)," he said.

Mr. Driscoll and Mr. Will are first cousins and fourth-generation owners of a company that was incorporated 50 years ago as a new division of A.A. Will Corporation, founded in 1886 by their great-grandfather. Both owners grew up in Milton where they reside with their families.

Mr. Will, a graduate of UNH and Northeastern, was developing industrial real estate when the reins of Will Sand/Canton fell to him.

"My father died in 1983 and suddenly, I was in full charge," he recalled.

Mr. Driscoll said, "I lived next to the original yard in Milton on Blue Hill Avenue and I was always drawn to the business." A graduate of Stonehill College and experienced in the materials industry, Mr. Driscoll joined the company in 1991, and has been instrumental to its growth since then.

"Twenty years ago, we sold raw materials directly to road builders and contractors. Now our customers are both commercial corporations and residential do-it-yourselfers," said Mr. Driscoll.

In addition to gravel and sand, the public now can buy retaining wall systems, cobblestones, paving stones, granite benches and mulches, along with engraving services.

In March 2002, they purchased Read Custom Soils, thereby targeting new markets in specialty materials for athletic fields, golf courses and rooftop gardens. The conversion of barren roofs of commercial buildings into rooftop gardens is an exciting new trend, according to Mr. Will who said, "Special lightweight soils that we manufacture are required. Converting gravel and hot tar roofs into gardens is ecologically sound."

Mr. Driscoll added, "It’s just coming onto the radar screen in Massachusetts. We’re ahead of the curve."

Come spring, Will Sand/Canton will host an open house, announced through newspaper notices, according to Mr. Driscoll, who said, "We invite neighboring towns and the kids can climb onto the trucks. We have rock-climbing and free hot dogs. We don’t sell anything that day."

© 2003 Will Sand / Canton