Our Story
At Nugent Sand, our goal is getting customers to think about sand, and then never think about it again. They trust our sand will be incredibly consistent and constantly available.
Our sand is different because it comes straight from the lakes of West Michigan, providing cleaner sand deposits helping you improve your mold and core-making processes, and product quality and ultimately saving you money in the long run.
Our process is different because it was created by foundrymen for foundrymen. It is built on generations of refinement, rigorous quality control measures, and can be shipped anywhere by road, rail, or water.
Our people are different because we’re deeply experienced foundrymen and reliable problem solvers. The end result is an experience that metalcasters can count on—time and time again.
Right after quality and consistency, inventory is everything. It’s why we have decades of reserves, which means we can pinpoint the sand you need or customize on command. Our sand is right here, ready to ship. Always.
We are the industry leader in lake sand. We provide freshwater lake sand for automotive, building products, mining, agriculture, and energy applications. And the only thing more quality than our sand is our people—a dedicated team of experts who work to decrease your costs and develop lasting relationships.
We work in freshwater, but our people couldn’t be more salt of the earth. Honest. Trustworthy. Ready to respond if it means our customers will be satisfied. Nugent Sand is a family-run company that’s been around since 1912. People come here, they retire here, and you’ll naturally feel that dedication when working with us.
Our History
The Nugent Sand Company was established in Norton Shores Michigan in 1912 by the Nugent family. Initially, sand was loaded into wheelbarrows to be transferred to horse-drawn delivery wagons. In October of 1947, the Cannon Family purchased the company from the Nugent family. Foundry operations had become more sophisticated and Nugent Sand relied on the Cannon family’s many years of foundry expertise to position Nugent Sand as a leader within the industry.
In 1979, Bob Chandonnet joined Nugent Sand in a sales role utilizing his experience in a foundry core room and foundry resins. In the mid-1980s, Nugent Sand’s owner, Bill Cannon Sr., passed away and Nugent was run by the Cannon Family. Without its President/CEO, Nugent Sand’s operation began to falter, and quality declined. In 1989, Bob Chandonnet purchased the company from the Cannon Trust. Bob’s vision for the company was pretty clear; get back to what made Nugent Sand successful; provide a high-quality product, be a reliable supplier, and provide great customer service at a competitive price. Bob implemented a strict quality control program throughout the company to ensure Nugent’s emphasis on quality.
Over many decades, Bob grew Nugent Sand to be an industry leader in lake sand for the foundry industry and building products industry. In 2009, Nugent Sand diversified its business into supplying frac sand. In 2015, Bob decided to bring family into the management and ownership of the business to continue on his legacy. Currently, Bob and his family are working side-by-side to grow the business.
Quality & Service Since 1912
With Decades of Reserves to Serve Our Customers
Our core values help to set us apart.
At Nugent, we not only strive to provide our clients with consistent quality time and time again but also to treat others with respect on and off the job. Our core values are the bedrock of our long-term customer relationships.
We’re Hiring!
CONSISTENT QUALITY
We know that you demand consistency. Our rigorous, multi-step, computer-to-human testing processes ensure that we meet customer requirements each and every time.
DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL
We really do make promises we can keep. We’re honest, transparent, and committed to doing what’s best for our customers, employees, and community.
BEST-IN-CLASS SERVICE
We work hard to ensure every interaction you have with our people, at every step, is the best it can be. Every grain of sand we provide follows a proven processs executed by highly-trained and experienced experts, all focused on meeting your requirements.
Community Impact
Nugent Sand makes it a point to help our local community in several ways. We’ve donated land to create a public park, we help local nonprofits with our time and treasure, and our process is environmentally friendly.
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Main Plant: 4912 Russell Road
Muskegon, MI 49445
Office/Mailing Address: 2925 Lincoln Street
Norton Shores, MI 49441
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