Walking into the Eaglestone offices, something feels different. Beyond the large windows, modern office aesthetic, people working busily, or the distant percolating of the espresso machine there’s an atmosphere that permeates your first experience: you are treated like part of a family.
“When I look around at the companies we’ve acquired, many are family businesses. There’s a family culture here and the family is just getting bigger with each acquisition. Everyone here wants to win and be the best they can be.” describes Grant Gagnier, Eaglestone’s current COO.
Created with a Vision
Founded in 2019, Eaglestone Holdings was started with the vision to create something unique, something that stood out in the city as best in its class, founded upon the principle of excellence. Andru Coren, current CEO recounts: “I started in this business when I was 25 years old working under my father in law and I learned a lot from him about how to run a company. When Aterian, our private equity partner, purchased our company, I presented a thesis of creating a group of companies in the mechanical, fire protection, plumbing, and electrical space that would be the best in class in their respective disciplines, who could service the full spectrum of the market’s MEP/FP needs while relying upon a central back-office system and shared services platform. Each acquisition would have the backing and support of a larger company but operate independently and retain their own unique cultures. Thankfully, Aterian gave us the latitude to create what you see today.”
As Eaglestone made its second and third acquisitions, PJ Mechanical and Delta Sheet Metal, it brought on James Pappas, also motivated by a longstanding family legacy, to serve as Eaglestone’s first Chief Business Development Officer.
Founded On Excellence
“When you start to talk about a company that is going to be built and respected in the industry, excellence is what it’s all about,” Andru remarks. “My daily motivation for Eaglestone Holdings and for my life is to make Eaglestone the best it can be and to make the companies under us the best they can be. I want to bring excellence in everything we do.” This founding principle drives everything about Eaglestone Holdings and shapes every interaction with each affiliated company.
My father taught me that.. “Trust is everything in the business and in life.” He told me to always “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” And I think that idea permeates everything we do. When you begin to develop a company that is going to be built and respected in the industry, excellence is what it’s all about.”
Mentoring Is Highly Valued
One thing you’ll instantly notice as you walk into each of the executive’s offices are photos hanging on the walls of the mentors that have shaped each of their lives. “I am here to carry on my dad’s legacy,” Jamie recounts. Those photos act as daily reminders of the critical value of mentorship, one thing that Eaglestone Holdings prides itself in doing for each of its affiliated companies.
“My philosophy of treating people well translates into the smallest companies we purchase. There is nobody who is more important or less important. No matter where you are on the totem pole, you are important to us,” Andru remarks with a smile.
But beyond its modest appearance, Eaglestone’s management team is made up of leaders who have run or managed large, billion-dollar corporations. As such Eaglestone offers a unique toolkit of experience along with business intelligence, strategic perspectives, and best practices to coach and mentor the presidents of its companies to be the best they can be to build the right foundation for growth.
Beyond New York City: Our Vision for the Future
While Eaglestone began with acquisitions in Brooklyn and Manhattan, it now has expanded to Boston and to South Florida. “I see us continuing to acquire companies in the NY metropolitan area and in Florida and growing our brand along the whole eastern seaboard,” Jamie notes.
When you look up at some of the towering landmarks that dot the NYC skyline like Hudson Yards, the World Trade Center, or the Waldorf Astoria chances are an Eaglestone-affiliated company played some part in its construction. Today the Eaglestone network of companies have a reputation for representing the very best in each of its trades: electrical, fire protection, plumbing and mechanical. Very few companies are able to take on the complicated work that Eaglestone affiliated companies regularly perform.
In thinking about Eaglestone’s future, Andru remarks: “In this industry, you are only as good as your last job, only as good as your last act. So it’s often said: It’s not how you start a job. It’s how you finish a job. Your reputation begins and ends on a daily basis. You are as only good as your last job.” This driving principle motivates Eaglestone, day-after-day, to pursue excellence, one decision after another.