Easco Boiler Company, celebrating 90 years of business, held a news conference and open house Tuesday, Aug. 16, at their headquarters. Leon Eastmond, 89, took the reins of the business from his father in 1948, and has entrusted his grandson Tyren, the fourth generation of the family to manage operations, with the role of COO. Under Tyren Eastmond’s leadership, the company is focused on expansion, sustainability and deepening community relations.
As the country is focused on job creation, especially in disadvantaged communities, Easco is a
model for employment policies that strengthen and add value to the community. The company
paid wages of $15 per hour and up, with benefits, long before advocates began pushing for a $15 minimum wage nationally. Easco also provides job training for formerly incarcerated individuals and has a scholarship fund for those who aren’t able to support themselves while learning a new trade. This foresight is based on the family wisdom that well-treated employees craft a better product and contribute to long-term growth.
Reflecting on their 90th year in business, Easco patriarch Leon Eastmond noted the need for
the city to recommit to helping build and sustain local businesses. “Black and Latino communities, the resilient people of the Bronx, deserve a fair chance to work, gain skills and reinvest in their community,” he said. “Our city leaders must stay actively engaged in making sure the policies and procedures of city agencies support a create opportunity for the citizens of our great city.”
“Easco is a staple in the Black community and a model for the nation,” said Tyren Eastmond, “We are committed to the economic advancement of the most vulnerable and the most in need of good jobs. This is the real value of a legacy business such as ours, in the Bronx and beyond.”