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About

The origins of REH Holdings, Inc. began in York, Pennsylvania, June 24, 1930 as H. J. Williams Co., Inc. During the next four-plus decades H. J. Williams grew into one of the foremost heavy and highway contractors in the region, building roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

In 1973, H. J. Williams Co., Inc. diversified by acquiring Elderlee, Inc., Oaks Corners, New York (halfway between Rochester and Syracuse, New York). It provided the following capabilities:

  • A construction division, which erects guide rail, signs, and bridgerail throughout New York State (Excluding New York City and Long Island).
  • A steel fabrication division for fabricating guide rail posts, box beam guide rail, bridge rail products, and other commercially fabricated products.
  • A division for the manufacturing of highway signs.
  • A hot-dip galvanizing operation capable of galvanizing highway guide rail products and commercial galvanizing for industry.

As part of the 1973 transaction, the company also acquired L.S. Lee, Inc., a Pennsylvania guide rail division located in Harrisburg, PA. The following years, this operation relocated to York, PA, and within five years time expanded operations in Maryland and Virginia.

In 1983, Bethlehem Steel Corp. approached the company with an offer to sell its specialty products division in Buffalo, NY. L.S. Lee and Elderlee were their largest customer for guide rail "W-Beam" panel and also a large supplier to this division for guide rail posts and hot-dip galvanizing services. Sensing a perfect complement to their business, the company acquired what became Buffalo Specialty Products, Inc. During the next 14 years of ownership, Buffalo Specialty's sales grew substantially to become the second largest supplier of guide rail to the United States. In August of 1997, Buffalo Specialty Products was sold to Trinity Industries, Inc., of Dallas, TX.

REH Holdings, Inc. was formed in 1983 as a holding company and what resulted were three wholly owned operating companies: Elderlee, Inc., L.S. Lee, Inc., and Buffalo Specialty Products.

In 1984, H. J. Williams Co. was sold - completing the transition from road building to specialty contracting and manufacturing – our focus then and today.

Today, REH Holdings and its two operating companies can be best described as a mix of specialty contracting (75%) and manufacturing (25%).