Our History
The Woolley Family’s Century of Service in Maplewood
For more than 100 years, the Woolley family has been a fixture in Maplewood and the surrounding communities. What began as a small coal and ice operation in 1924 has grown and adapted through every decade, evolving with the needs of the neighbors we serve. Today, Woolley Home Solutions is a full-service home comfort company offering Bioheat® fuel delivery, comprehensive heating and cooling services, professional air quality services, and plumbing services, all backed by the same commitment that started it all: keeping local homes and businesses running.
1924 – The Founding
Two brothers, a father’s investment, and a coal yard on Burnett Avenue mark the beginning of a century.
In 1924, brothers Norman and Herbert Woolley established Woolley Coal Company at 12 Burnett Avenue in Maplewood’s Hilton Section, with help from their father Nephi. Herbert managed the books while Norman worked with customers. Not long after, Nephi moved to Maplewood himself to help the growing business. The company sold coal for home heating and cooking, as well as ice for residential iceboxes.
1924-Early 1940s – The Ice Business
Before refrigerators, Woolley kept Maplewood’s food cold, one block of ice at a time.
Woolley sourced ice from New York State, stored it in their icehouse, and delivered it year-round by horse and wagon directly to residential kitchens across Maplewood and Union. When Freon-powered refrigerators became affordable in the 1930s, demand dropped quickly and Woolley sold its last ice around 1940.
1924-1968 – The Coal Era
For over 30 years, anthracite coal was the backbone of the business.
Woolley purchased premium Lehigh Valley anthracite by the railcar, delivered via a dedicated Rahway Valley Railroad siding to their Burnett Avenue storage silos. Nephi Woolley lived on Sommer Avenue until he passed away in 1949, right at the height of the coal era. At the business’s peak, they received four or five coal hoppers per week. Woolley made its final coal sale in 1968.
Mid-1940s-2008 – The Shift to Fuel Oil
As coal fell out of favor, Woolley adapted and kept the same trucks rolling with a new fuel.
Beginning in the mid-1940s, homeowners and businesses started switching from coal furnaces to heating oil and natural gas. Woolley moved with them, transitioning into home heating oil delivery across Maplewood and surrounding towns.
In 1964, Norman W. Woolley Jr. joined the family business, bringing the third generation on board as the company continued growing its fuel oil customer base. The tanker trucks replaced the old dump trucks, and Woolley kept filling tanks and serving customers the same way it always had, just with a cleaner, more efficient fuel.
1990s–2005 – A New Generation and a Growing Footprint
The fourth generation joins the business, and Woolley expands beyond its northern New Jersey roots.
In the 1990s, Norman E. Woolley joined the company as the fourth generation of the Woolley family to work in the business. His arrival came at a time of continued growth, and he would go on to play a central role in shaping the company’s direction.
Later, Woolley installed a state-of-the-art propane refilling station in 2000, adding the ability to fill barbecue grill tanks and commercial propane tanks for local customers. Then in 2005, the company acquired A.D. Runyon in Millington, NJ, extending its service area into Somerset and Hunterdon County and bringing Woolley’s dependable fuel delivery to a new region of New Jersey.
2008-Present – The Green Era Begins
Woolley became home to New Jersey’s first retail biodiesel fueling station, a century-old company leading the way on cleaner energy.
In 2008, Woolley became the first retail diesel station in New Jersey to offer Biodiesel for vehicles, made from renewable plant-based resources. They also introduced Bioheat® fuel for home heating, a low-carbon blend of renewable resources and ultra-low sulfur heating oil that works in existing oil furnaces without expensive conversion. Both products helped customers reduce their carbon footprint without changing their equipment.
In 2019, Woolley took that commitment a step further, pledging that its Bioheat® fuel will be carbon-neutral by 2050.
2015 – Becoming Woolley Home Solutions
A new name to match what the business had become: a full-service home comfort company.
By 2015, Woolley had grown well beyond fuel delivery and rebranded as Woolley Home Solutions. Fuel delivery remained at the core, but it was joined by a complete lineup of home comfort services, including:
- Heating system installation, maintenance, and repair for gas- and oil-fired equipment
- Cooling services, including central A/C and mini-split systems
- Plumbing services for residential and commercial customers
- Water heater installation and repair
- Indoor air quality services, including air purification and humidification
- And more
Additionally, Woolley welcomed several respected local companies into the family, including Ralph Malfatone and Son, Inc. of Warren in 2020, Reel Strong Heating and Cooling of Cranford in 2022, and, most recently, Charles Dae of South Orange and Marcketta Heating & Cooling of Millburn in 2025.
This shift reflected a simple truth: Woolley kept entire homes in Maplewood, NJ and the surrounding communities running.
EXPLORE SERVICES
Today – Still Going Strong
Maplewood’s oldest business, still run by the family that started it all.
Woolley Home Solutions holds the distinction of being Maplewood’s oldest business, and after more than a century, the commitment to personal service hasn’t wavered.
In 2024, the company marked its centennial with a community celebration in Maplewood, honored with an official proclamation from the mayor. The same family that started delivering coal by horse and wagon in 1924 is still showing up for customers today, just with a lot more to offer.
