
May 19, 2008 -
Long Island
Consistently ranked in the ENR list of the nation's top 500 engineering and architectural firms, H2M was established in 1933 by founder Henry "Gus" Holzmacher. The country was in the throws of the Great Depression when Holzmacher started a civil engineering and land surveying practice and began working out of his home in Bethpage. The nascent Grumman Aviation was his primary client. Today, H2M is a full service engineering and architectural firm with two Long Island offices, an office in Parsippany, N.J., and a staff of over 260.
From its relatively simple beginnings we can only wonder what Holzmacher would think of H2M now. "I know my father, in his wildest dreams, could not imagine the firm growing to its present size and importance," said son, Robert (Bob) Holzmacher.
Bob ran H2M upon the sudden passing of his father in 1961, until his retirement in 1991. During the early years, Bob enticed his school mate Norman Murrell and a former supervisor, Sam McLendon, to join the fledgling firm. McLendon, with his background in sanitary engineering and water analysis obtained from his years with the Long Island Water Corp., started the laboratory division in the kitchen of H2M's first formal office in Hicksville on West Marie Street. During the succeeding decades the firm grew gradually to the 50 employee level in the '70s and to the 100 employee level in the '80s and '90s and then to its position today. All along the way the firm continued to diversify its professional services.
Upon the retirement of the three succeeding leaders of the firm (Holzmacher, McLendon and Murrell) in 1991, Harold Dombeck took over the helm as president and CEO of H2M until his retirement in 1995. The leadership then passed to John Molloy, H2M's current president and CEO. "I started at H2M in 1974 driving in from Brooklyn and dropping coins into the toll on the Southern State. The firm has meant everything to me and my family and is integral to our lives. I have been honored to lead this outstanding organization for the past 13 years. We are now 260 people strong and still growing. The thing that comes to mind first and foremost is 'thank you.' Over the past 75 years our employees and clients have made the firm the success it is today. This firm remains vibrant and is positioned with excellent employees, partners and clients to drive our success for decades ahead."
H2M consists of Holzmacher, McLendon and Murrell, P.C.; H2M Associates, Inc.; H2M Architects & Engineers, Inc.; and H2M Labs, Inc. It specializes in many areas, such as: water supply and treatment; architecture; civil engineering; electrical engineering; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning engineering; plumbing engineering; structural engineering; waste water engineering; environmental engineering; planning; surveying; GIS; mapping; and, full laboratory testing and analysis. H2M Labs, Inc. is ranked among the nation's 100 largest environmental laboratories and has recently been awarded the ACIL Seal of Excellence for the eighth consecutive year.
This year H2M is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Commemorating their banner year H2M has made several special charitable donations, held employee appreciation days, and launched a new anniversary year logo. The logo will be used during 2008 to show H2M's 75 years in service to the community.
Responding to the changing needs of our communities further demonstrates the importance that H2M's diversified professional service brings to a client. Water resources, air quality, natural resources, parks and open space, schools, firehouses and roads are but a few of the areas that can be impacted by growth and overuse. H2M has the commitment to achieve a sustainable balance between the growing population and an aging environment without sacrificing future resources. Over the past seven decades, H2M has helped design and build many of these communities - from treatment facility to fire houses, from elementary schools to universities, from road reconstruction to site assessment and remediation.
H2M has recently contributed to such projects as Circulo de la Hispanidad Community Center in Hempstead; Port Jefferson Wastewater Treatment Plant; Kings Park High School addition; Sayville Library upgrade; Jericho Fire House design; treating the Sole Source Aquifer of the Garden City Water District; Mercedes-Benz and Smart Car Center in Smithtown; Splish Splash Water Park in Riverhead; heating plant upgrades at the Hewlett-Woodmere School District; and that is to name just a few.
H2M will continue to provide the highest quality service established from the past 75 years and will be completing several major projects throughout the tri-state area during its anniversary year. "Quality excellence is our standard and our full time responsibility," H2M core values.