Type of business: Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and facilities services
Connecticut employees: 450
Connecticut locations: 4
Headquarters: Vernon
HR contact: Daniel R. Bourbeau, senior vice president
Top local executive: Dana R. Finnegan, president
Founded: 1966
When employee dissatisfaction over management’s chosen health plan provider rose and employees approached the top brass to express their concerns, managers did more than just listen politely and advise them to adjust. They revised their initial plans and instead contracted with the health care provider the rank and file preferred.
Open communication and responsiveness between New England Mechanical Services (NEMSI) management and its workers have led to mutual respect and loyalty in an industry where tumultuous labor relationships and feast or famine business cycles are common. It’s also part of the reason NEMSI, a division of Emcor Services, is a repeat winner of the Hartford Business Journal’s 2009 Best Places to Work in Connecticut award.
Dana Finnegan, president and chief operating officer of the company said, “It’s all about the people who work here — how they’re treated; how they respond. We think our job is to take care of our employees; their job is to take care of our customers.”
Daniel Bourbeau, senior vice president and head of human resources, attributes this philosophy to former company President Chuck Regan, who, in the 1980s, instilled it in the employees who now lead the company.
“His attitude was that we really were stewards of the company. This perspective says that our employees don’t work for us as much as we work for them. We have to measure our success by how well we facilitate the relationships and activities of the people who make money for the company.”
Bourbeau explained that NEMSI works hard to communicate frequently with employees and thank them for their contribution to the business. Organizationally, field offices are kept small to make communication easier among a far flung, state-wide dispatched force of employees. Each office holds weekly meetings. There are monthly safety training sessions and interactive quarterly town hall meetings led by Finnegan.
Additionally, employees regularly receive a company newsletter, individual communications, and information through notices, e-mail and payroll envelopes.
Finnegan engages employees as much as possible and encourages informal office get-togethers such as afternoon cook-outs and birthday celebrations as a way to strengthen morale and relationships.
An end-of-the-year celebration is also held to recognize employee accomplishments.
Employee longevity is something spoken of with pride at NEMSI. This past year, according to Bourbeau, 14 employees celebrated more than 20 years of service with the company and one employee has been at NEMSI for 38 years.
Among these longtimers is 26-year employee Cliff Hall, a sheet metal estimator. In a way, Hall has been with NEMSI far longer than anyone else, including those with more official years of service.
His dad started the company back in 1966 in the basement of their home. He says NEMSI’s employee-friendly management approach hasn’t changed a great deal since his dad left the company in 1994.
“It’s still pretty much the same management team,” he said proudly. “You always have a place here. The company wants you to stay.”
“It really comes back to the people here,” Finnegan said. “They have to really make some sacrifices on this job – weekend calls, on-call 24-7. It’s not easy. That’s why I think this award is special. It’s additional recognition for what our employees have done for our customers and reaffirms that we’re doing the right things for our employees.”
