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SYRACUSE - "We pretty much fly under the radar," says David S. Burns, referring to the few media interviews he has granted to discuss Burns Bros. Contractors, Inc., his Syracuse-based mechanical-contracting firm.
Burns says that Burns Bros. Contractors has evolved into one of the largest full-service mechanical contracting companies in the Northeast, after being founded in 1901 as a plumbing, heating, and contracting business that also sold heating and plumbing supplies.
"The Burns Bros. [name] derives from my grandfather, John R. Burns, and his brother, T. H. Burns," Burns says. "They ran the company until 1945, when my father, Thomas R. Burns, and his cousin, Jack Burns, took over the business, and after operating together for six months decided to split the company."
Jack Burns founded Burns Supply and specialized in plumbing and heating supplies. Thomas R. Burns retained the name Burns Bros. and turned his portion of the business into a full-service mechanical contracting and industrial-supply company, David S. Burns says.
Burns, current president and CEO of Burns Bros. Contractors, has been a full-time employee for 41 years. Prior to 1966, he worked summers at the company.
"I became CEO in 1972," Burns says. "I think our primary focus and goal has been to stay within the area of our expertise and make sure we meet the customer's highest expectations."
Burns says that established relationships with customers have led to 30 percent of customers being repeat clients.
Burns Bros. Contractors focuses on large commercial, industrial, and institutional projects. The contracting company tries to...