VT Power Play: Fairlee's Britton Acquires Century-Old MA Firm
The acquisition will expand Britton Lumber’s reach in Massachusetts and open new markets in Rhode Island and Connecticut, where Denison-Cannon currently maintains customers.
Britton Lumber Company, the Fairlee-based manufacturer of Eastern White Pine boards and distributor of building materials across New England, has announced plans to acquire Denison-Cannon Company, a Billerica, Massachusetts lumber distributor. The transaction is expected to close in February 2026.
Century-old business adds packaging expertise
Denison-Cannon has served packaging and pallet manufacturers and lumber dealers throughout New England since its founding in 1920. The company operates from a facility in Billerica with a team of sales and transportation professionals.
Peter Hyatt and Carmen Mattuchio have led Denison-Cannon for more than 40 years. Both executives will join Britton Lumber along with their staff following the acquisition’s completion.
Geographic and product expansion
The acquisition will expand Britton Lumber’s reach in Massachusetts and open new markets in Rhode Island and Connecticut, where Denison-Cannon currently maintains customers. The deal also diversifies Britton’s customer base by adding Denison-Cannon’s packaging and pallet manufacturing clients to its existing retail lumber dealer network.
“We are thrilled to add the experienced team of professionals at Denison-Cannon to our wholesale division and to add a location in Massachusetts to better serve our customers in Southern New England,” Brian Moses, General Manager of Britton Lumber’s Wholesale Division, said in announcing the acquisition. “The packaging business that Peter and Carmen have grown over the years adds a different mix to our customer base which was an important factor in our purchase.”
Decades-long supplier relationship
The two companies have maintained a business relationship for decades, with Britton Lumber supplying Eastern White Pine boards to Denison-Cannon for distribution to its customers.
“Britton Lumber has been a vendor of Denison-Cannon for decades providing us with high-quality Eastern White Pine boards for our customers,” Hyatt said. “Over the last few years, we have watched the Moses family grow both Britton Lumber’s manufacturing facilities in Bath, New Hampshire and its wholesale distribution operations throughout New England and we felt Britton Lumber would be an excellent partner for both our customers and our employees,” Mattuchio added.
Family-owned Vermont manufacturer
Britton Lumber operates two divisions from its Vermont headquarters. The company’s Manufacturing division produces Eastern White Pine boards at a facility in Bath, New Hampshire, while its Wholesale Distribution division sells building materials from warehouses in Fairlee, Vermont and Gray, Maine.
Founded in 1946, the company came under the ownership of Robert Moses in 2014. His sons John and Brian joined the family business in 2018.
What happens next
The acquisition is scheduled to close in February 2026. Following completion, Denison-Cannon’s Billerica facility will operate as part of Britton Lumber’s Wholesale Distribution division, expanding the Vermont company’s geographic footprint into southern New England markets while maintaining Denison-Cannon’s existing customer relationships in the packaging and pallet manufacturing sectors.