About Us
Our History
EMS has a distinguished history with the current owners, third-generation journeymen Ted and John Huizinga. Their grandfather, John Huizinga I, ran a successful mechanical contracting company called Holwerda – Huizinga in Grand Rapids, MI, even during the Great Depression. In the late 1960s, John purchased a bankrupt company, Miller Davis Plumbing and Heating in Kalamazoo, MI, and renamed it Associated Mechanical Services, Inc. (AMS). AMS thrived during the 1970s and became one of the top 50 mechanical contractors in the country according to Domestic Engineering’s records.
In 1976, Tom and AMS parted ways, and he founded his own company, Anchor Boiler and Mechanical in Traverse City, MI. Unfortunately, the Michigan economy in the late 1970s was depressed, leading Tom to face significant challenges, and he eventually moved with Betty and John to Hawthorne, NY for a project management and estimating position at Roland Tompkins, a large mechanical contracting company. John went to work for the same firm as an estimator. At the same time, Ted, Tom’s oldest son, worked in various roles for notable companies in the nuclear power industry.
In 1985, Niagara Mohawk’s Nine Mile Two nuclear power plant project was completed, putting Ted at risk of being laid off. This prompted Tom’s desire to start a new company. After reaching an agreement with Betty, Ted, and John, Eastern Mechanical Services, Inc. (EMS) was established in June 1985.
EMS has since flourished as a full-service mechanical company, specializing in plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, pipe fitting, and certified pipe welding. The company holds licenses for all these trades in the State of CT and primarily serves the commercial and industrial sectors. Notably, EMS has gained recognition in the VRF market and is one of only 100 Diamond Elite Contractors nationwide, as acknowledged by Mitsubishi Electric for their HVAC heat pump, hyper heat pump, and Citi Multi systems.
