Founded in 1917 by Jacob Levine, great-grandfather of the current president Jesse Levine, the PAR Group businesses have been owned by the Levines ever since.
PAR Plumbing, PAR Heating and Air Conditioning, PAR Fire Protection and PAR Green Solutions are autonomous business units. As projects have grown in scale and complexity, The PAR Group has increasingly been called upon to put these four units to work as a professionally managed, centrally coordinated team.
A combined field staff of more than 350 field employees and 95 office staff service the five boroughs of New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. The company also provides quality training and work experience to its employed apprentices, helping to lead the next era of workers in the industry.
“We have more than 85 vehicles in our fleet,” says Jesse Levine. “We do mainly commercial work and are a part of CHIP [Community Housing Impact and Preservation Program], REBNY [Real Estate Board of New York], Association of Contracting Plumbers NYC and the Plumbing Contractors Association of Long Island. Some of our current projects include the New York Proton Regional Center and the Koch Center."”
A few favorites among the fleet include the 2013-2017 Chevy Express 3500, the 2012 Ford E350 Box Truck and the 2012 Chevrolet 3500 Box Truck. The design on the vehicles are different for each division but all are simple, modern and to the point.
“Each truck services a particular need and are perfect for the job they correlate with,” says one team member, noting that some are used particularly for service calls and others for estimates.
“They are easy to read, easy to spot and send a clear message,” Levine says. “We wanted something clean and impactful for the logo."
The artwork for the trucks was crafted by David Enock and “the decals were placed on the vehicles by QCD Graphics Located in Middle Village, N.Y.," Levine adds. "We described our vision to him and he came up with the perfect look for us.”
In addition to traditional advertising, the company utilizes social media platforms to connect with existing clients and showcase company and industry news. A “Spot the Truck” contest is run sporadically, and prizes are awarded for creativity.
“The PAR staff also annually takes part in the Sunrise Walks to raise money for Sunrise Day Camp,” Levine notes. “In the past, the company, staff, friends and family have successfully raised thousands of dollars for the walk; the proceeds allow children with cancer and their siblings to attend Sunrise Day Camp free of charge.”
This article was originally titled “Serving for 100 years” in the October 2017 print edition of Plumbing & Mechanical.
