Wanting to be independent of having to work for someone else, eighteen-year-old Bill French Sr., of Belmont, MA, founded W. L. French in May of 1972. He purchased his first truck — a 1972 B81 from James W. Flett, an established excavating company where Bill had his first job.
Wanting to be independent of having to work for someone else, eighteen-year-old Bill French Sr., of Belmont, MA, founded W. L. French in May of 1972. He purchased his first truck — a 1972 B81 from James W. Flett, an established excavating company where Bill had his first job.
The odds were against him — a teenage trucker, married with a child at home, working long hard hours for many years just to earn a decent living and establish a reputation for his family and his business.
Over the past four decades W. L. French has grown exponentially — being recognized for its growth by Inc. magazine as one of the Top 5,000 fastest-growing, privately-owned businesses in America and by the Boston Business Journal as one of the Top 100 fastest-growing, privately-owned businesses in Massachusetts in 2009 and 2010.
In an effort to increase market share and its client base the company has diversified and focused on new revenue streams. In 2008, W. L. French obtained its license to transport hazardous waste. With this license the company can now completely service clients by hauling all encountered materials/soils off site without limitation.
In recent years, the company made a decision to utilize heavy equipment and trucks more effectively during the winter months. A business plan was established to bid more aggressively to earn work related to the snow. Today, the company boasts a large snow services division, which includes plowing, snow removal and transportation and delivery of sand, salt and custom mixes.
