Corporate History of Barden Homes

“Quality, Precision, Tradition”

In 1909, George L. Barden teamed up with Roscoe J. Robeson in Penn Yan, New York, nestled in the heart of the Finger Lakes region, to form a lucrative partnership. Little did they know, the Barden and Robeson Corporation, which started with production of spokes and hubs for wagon wheels, would become a premier corporation that would continue to flourish for generations to come.

To accommodate the rapidly growing fruit trade in the Finger Lakes region, the Barden and Robeson Corporation changed its focus to bushel baskets in 1911. Business continued to grow and by the 1920's, wicker baby furniture was added to the company's product line. The 1940's brought World War II, which shifted Barden and Robeson's focus once again. Bushel basket and furniture production were put on hold in order to assist the US government in the war effort by assembling ammunition boxes.

With the advent of peace, bushel basket and furniture production returned to normal. A surplus of lumber from the ammunition box venture and a major push by the U.S. government for rapid housing in the United States, switched Barden and Robeson's focus yet again. By this time, three production facilities, located in Penn Yan, Middleport, and Lockport, were being utilized in full force, which prompted the endeavor of a new state-of-the-art product, Barden Homes.

Before long, the Middleport facility was producing this exciting, new method of panelized home construction. Bushel basket and furniture production began a slow decline, while the demand for Barden Homes grew so quickly that in 1968, the company opened the doors to another production facility located in Homer, New York. By this time, three generations of Barden's: G.L. Barden and his son, Bryce, and Bryce's sons Rick and Tom, were also joined by Bob Gelder, a long time family friend, and together they steered the company to what it is today.

Today, Barden Homes continues to grow at a steady pace with the fourth generation stepping into the forefront of the company. Rick's son, Mark, is President, Tom's son, Eric, is Vice President of Sales, Bob Gelder's son, Tim, is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Kevin Tomko, a longtime employee, is Chief Executive Officer.

Today, Barden Homes has a network of over 200 independent dealers who provide an autonomous distribution system to valued customers. In 2001, Barden Homes delivered its 15,000th home, which was cause for celebration as a ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the Homer facility. In the Summer of 2004, Barden opened a brand new, state-of-the-art production and office facility in Tully, NY, replacing the Homer plant that they had outgrown. In addition to this multi-million dollar expansion, Barden also invested in their other location in Middleport, by adding similar, top-of-the-line equipment and buildings, thus once again staying far ahead of the competition. Not to be outdone, in 2005 Barden Homes became international with its operations in Ontario, Canada. Barden has also created an industry leading, online computer database system where customers can literally order a house online, through an independent dealer, and follow its progress from start to finish, thus creating a paperless environment.

In keeping with the ideas that were instilled by its founders, George L. Barden and Roscoe J. Robeson, Barden Homes continues to be family owned, and the long line of quality, precision, and tradition that were instilled over 90 years ago are still evident today. Starting as a wagon wheel parts manufacturer in a small town in upstate New York, Barden Homes has evolved into one of the premier home material supply companies in the Northeast United States. Customize your dream home with Barden and discover that we really are Better, Faster, Smarter.