Unalam, one of the nation’s premier glulam manufacturers and a company that helped pioneer the modern glulam industry in the United States, was honored as the Otsego County Business of the Year by the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce on May 14, 2026.
Founded in 1892 as a lumber yard, the company evolved into the Unadilla Silo Company in 1906 before becoming one of the first glulam manufacturers in the country in 1958. For more than six decades, Unalam has remained at the forefront of glulam engineering and manufacturing, supplying some of the most recognizable and technically demanding projects across the country.
Nearly 135 years after its founding, Unalam continues to operate under Van Cott family leadership — a rare milestone in American manufacturing. The company maintains offices in Unadilla, New York, and operates its manufacturing facility in Sidney, where generations of skilled craftsmen, engineers, and fabricators have helped establish Unalam as a leader in glulam production.
Now in its sixth generation of Van Cott family leadership, the company continues to build on a reputation for innovation, craftsmanship, and engineering excellence that has defined Unalam for more than a century.
Over the years, Unalam’s work has been featured in a wide range of landmark projects, from world-class performing arts venues and sports facilities to bridges, resorts, indoor water parks, and large-scale artwork.
The company supplied structural glulam for Groton Hill Music Center in Groton, Massachusetts, a 126,000-square-foot performing arts campus known for its dramatic exposed glulam architecture and world-class acoustics. Unalam has also contributed to projects at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the renowned performance venue located on the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. Bethel Woods was recently voted the No. 1 amphitheater in the United States by USA Today.
Unalam’s project portfolio also includes the Onondaga Lacrosse Stadium, the U.S. Olympic bobsled track facilities in Lake Placid, Great Wolf Lodge resorts, indoor water parks, and major bridge structures across the country. Among them is the Cobun Creek Bridge, completed in 2025 in Morgantown, West Virginia, a 172-foot-long glulam bridge that was fully assembled at Unalam’s Sidney facility before shipment. The company also manufactured 173-foot-long glulam beams for the Downsville Covered Bridge in New York, which at the time were recognized as the longest glulam beams in the world.
The company’s craftsmanship has also been featured at the Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy, one of the world’s most prestigious art exhibitions, where Unalam supplied glulam components for the large-scale installation Swallowed Sun, a vision of acclaimed artist Martin Puryear.
Craig Van Cott, President of Unalam and a fifth-generation member of Van Cott family leadership, said the award represents the dedication of generations of employees who helped build the company.
“It’s with a great deal of pride that we accept this honor on behalf of all our employees, past and present, that have made us the great company we are,” Van Cott said. “Representing the fifth generation of Van Cott family management, I am extremely grateful that the sixth generation has joined Unalam to continue the legacy.”
Ian Van Cott, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and a sixth-generation member of the Van Cott family, said the award reflects not only the company’s long history, but also the people who continue to make its success possible.
“We are sincerely grateful to the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce for this award,” Ian Van Cott said. “We would like to give a special thank you to all of our loyal and hardworking employees. Without them, our decades of success would not be possible.”
Ian Van Cott said the company remains focused on continuing its legacy for future generations.
“As we look ahead, we remain committed to positioning Unalam for future success while upholding our reputation as one of America’s premier glulam manufacturers.”
For nearly 135 years, Unalam has remained a cornerstone of manufacturing in Central New York while helping shape the evolution of modern glulam construction in the United States.
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