Approximately ninety years ago, Peter E. Farrell came to this country from his native Ireland with his wife and children settling in the small town of Shrewsbury, NJ on a few acres of property located on Broad St. In addition to farming, Peter relied on his horse and wagon as he hauled dirt and sand, dug foundations and even collected garbage in order to make a living for his family during the depression years.
 
     He probably couldn’t foresee that this kind of business would continue to be a family venture for four generations of Farrells.
 
     In the early 1940’s , Peter’s son Thomas Morgan and his wife Elizabeth formed Thomas Farrell Contracting Corporation doing basically the same type of work. A few years later they purchased the piece of property on Shrewsbury Ave, where the business is still located This company continued to grow and expand until 1966 when Tom, Sr. passed away. The business employed over sixty-five men, doing such diverse work as demolition, garbage collection, roadway and driveway construction and drainage work. Under the direction of Elizabeth, the matriarch of the family, the business continued in a scaled down capacity. Elizabeth and her brother-in-law (Ted) ran the business together until he passed away in 1974. Tom, Jr. began his commitment to the family business at a very early age, by beginning to work part time weekends, vacations and after school . There wasn’t a piece of equipment in the yard that Tom couldn’t run expertly by the time he was in his teens. In a futile attempt to change his interests, Tom’s mother insisted that he attend college and needless to say he did, receiving his degree in Building Construction, graduating from one of the only advanced courses in the US. There was never a question of Tom’s commitment to the business; he had grown up knowing that this was to be his career. Both commercial and residential customers have reaped the benefits of Tom’s expertise in building construction and drainage.
     In the early 1980’s as more and more customers became interested in landscaping, it became apparent that there was a need in the area for a business that could provide the necessary supplies . In 1988, Tom opened Thomas Farell Landscape Supply, providing a wide variety of decorative stones, topsoil and mulch to both home gardeners and landscapers.
 
     Now Tom’s son Tommy, in addition to his main love of auto racing, has joined him in the family business and puts in long hours working side-by side with his Dad. Young Tommy has been active full time with the business since his graduation from Christian Brother’s Academy in 1993. His presence has enabled his father to increase the amount of commercial site work that the business can handle.
 
     One of the best assets to the business has been our dedicated employees, from Judy, who works extremely hard dispatching, and dealing with the telephones and customers in the office to our truck drivers and machine operators all our employees have become part of the “Farrell family”
 
     Our Business is still located at 761 Shrewsbury Ave., Shewsbury. Area landscapers and home gardeners can purchase supplies, including decorative rocks, stones, fill dirt and topsoil. Those planning to install a patio are pleased to learn that Thomas Farrell Landscape Supply is a distributor for Capitol Concrete Paver products. For further information call (732) 741-5632.