#ThrowbackThursday - The History of Connecticut Basement Systems
This year, it seems as if our team at Connecticut Basement Systems (CTBS) is making history on the daily. Each day our company grows, and we welcome new customers aboard.. History is unfolding before our eyes so, why not share some more history with our customers (both new and old)? The origin story of CTBS is one of a kind, and sharing our tale of teamwork and perseverance unifies our employees, customers, and partners everywhere.
When you hear our company’s name, most Connecticut residents know the story of Larry Janesky: business owner, author, innovator, and more. Starting as a self-employed contractor for home services, he made history himself by becoming the founder of the largest basement waterproofing, crawl space and foundation repair, and basement finishing company in the state. The success had to start somewhere, and that somewhere was in Larry’s 900-square-foot home in Milford, CT.
When you step into the lobby of CTBS’ building, also known as “Building 3” in Seymour, CT’s Silvermine Industrial Park, you’ll be greeted by several signs and sayings, as well as one of Larry’s dirt bikes used in 2015 Baja 1000 -- another noteworthy accomplishment added to Larry’s list. Something that might go unnoticed while taking a tour of the building is The Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce’s “Silver Hammer Award,” which was awarded to CTBS in 2018 for outstanding and noteworthy achievements. The year before, in August of 2017, the company celebrated 30 years, and expanded further into Building 3, a three-story, 77,000 square-foot structure that holds over 100 CTBS trucks, 350 people, and Contractor Nation’s training facility that was created to help future business owners achieve their own success stories, also known as the School of Entrepreneurship.
Under that “Silver Hammer Award” plaque is a picture of Larry’s Milford home, along with three other buildings that played a pivotal role in CTBS’ growth. The second location (a 3000-square-foot building on Benton Street in Stratford, CT) was the birthplace of Basement Systems Inc. (BSI). This building held the company from 1989 until 1991. From there, BSI moved to the first building that Larry owned, located on Woodend Road in Stratford. Another three years in the books, and the business once again outgrew the building. With a massive 12,000-square-foot increase, the team took their talents to Sperry Avenue in Stratford from 1994 to 1997. Despite the size, this property was only occupied for two and a half years, and from that point on, it was clear that all of these big plans needed more than one building to really flourish.
A dream that started in Larry’s small home became reality with determination and drive to lend a helping hand and repair homes in need. Now, there are thousands of hands to help, not only in Seymour, but all throughout Larry’s Basement System Dealer Network, located internationally with over 220 partners.
Stay tuned for stories regarding our company’s heritage. We couldn’t have done it without you!
