Our History
Now part of a larger organization known as MMC Corp, Midwest Mechanical Contractors has been in existence since 1932. We haven't always looked the way we do today, nor were we as large as we are now. Our history in many respects represents the American Dream. One man had an idea that with a little inspiration and a lot of perspiration, he just might succeed.
And so, a company was born...
In 1932, the United States was mired in the Great Depression. Work was scarce, and when company-founder Claude Sanders lost his job, he made the best of a difficult situation. He founded a residential plumbing service company, which he called Midwest Plumbing and Heating Company. Working out of his house, Claude slowly built his plumbing business.
Little by little, the tiny company grew, and several family members became involved in the business. Between 1959 and 1960 the first large project was undertaken. Midwest constructed the 12-story luxury condominium building Meyer West Condominiums. For the time, these were very upscale units. Several years later, following World War II, construction boomed, and Midwest Plumbing and Heating grew faster than ever. Claude and his son, Elmer, continued to operate Midwest, eventually changing the name to Midwest Mechanical Contractors, Inc. in 1960.
Claude Sanders remained active in the company until his passing in 1964. The constant theme throughout his career was quality. He stressed the importance of doing the job right, delivering exactly what the customer needed, and doing what was promised. Claude’s grandson Tom Sanders recalls Claude’s words of wisdom, “Do what you know how to do,” “Don’t be greedy,” and, “Accept responsibility; fulfill contract obligations.”
Building Strong Relationships
Following in Claude's footsteps, Elmer Sanders led the company from 1964 - 1984. While retaining his father’s emphasis on quality, Elmer added his own special touch to the company's growth by focusing on relationships. He liked people and was equally comfortable talking with the chairman of the board or the building custodian. Additionally, he stressed performance as the ultimate key to success, and that performance started with great superintendents and foremen. When reflecting on his father’s legacy, Tom Sanders stated that, “We were liked as a company because of our relationships and because Elmer stressed win-win performance. He also built great field operations.”
Before Elmer’s death in 1985, he brought his three sons, Tom, Steve, and Don, into the business. Each of the three sons took on distinct and expanding roles as the company continued to grow. Tom Sanders became the President and Chief Executive Officer, while Steve Sanders led the emerging general contractor business, and Don Sanders took responsibility for the mechanical contracting business. While Claude and Elmer established two pillars of the MMC culture—quality and relationships, Tom, Steve, and Don added a third pillar—entrepreneurship. Under their leadership, Midwest Mechanical grew from $4 million to $350 million in annual revenue, and from one local mechanical contractor to a nationwide construction services corporation.
Midwest Mechanical Contractors of New Jersey, Inc.
Tom set his sights on expansion into New Jersey. In 1984, a friend asked Tom to partner with him on a large project. Eventually, Midwest became the primary contractor. A new company was established to perform work in New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, New York, and New England.
Today, Midwest Mechanical Contractors of New Jersey, Inc. concentrates its efforts primarily in New Jersey and performs mostly mechanical piping, HVAC, and plumbing work for industrial/process applications such as data centers, power generation, pharmaceutical and petrochemical facilities, institutional facilities, and commercial work.
MMC Corp: From Family to Corporation
By 1990, the Sanders brothers realized that they had three distinct businesses: mechanical, general construction, and HVAC service. MMC Corp was created and incorporated as a holding company to manage the three distinct operating companies. The brothers also viewed the establishment of MMC Corp as part of their succession planning. They brought in professional managers at all operating company levels and concentrated on running the holding company. This process became the foundation of their exit plan.
On December 23, 1999 the Sanders family took the first formal step toward their goal of placing MMC employees in control of the company by creating the MMC Corp Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), to purchase 30% of the company from the Sanders brothers. Additionally, the Sanders moved the president of Midwest Mechanical to the president of MMC Corp.
Midwest Mechanical Contractors of Nebraska, Inc.
In 1996, Midwest Mechanical Contractors, Inc. opened an office in Omaha, Nebraska to perform mechanical work at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Lied Transplant Center, a large healthcare facility. During that project’s two-year construction period, a market analysis indicated a need for a local mechanical services provider. MMC Corp responded, taking on more work in the area, all of which was managed locally and supported from Kansas City.
In 2003, the Omaha office was incorporated as a new subsidiary called Midwest Mechanical Contractors of Nebraska, Inc. In 2004, the company added a service component to its operations, and today it performs work in healthcare, military, commercial, and industrial facilities.
Pahor Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
In 2000, MMC Corp saw an opportunity to grow the business by acquiring Pahor Air Conditioning of Las Vegas, Nevada. Pahor was a successful, family business founded in 1938. Like many people during the Depression Era, Emil Pahor was desperate to find work. In 1936, he relocated to Las Vegas and began working for OK Plumbing & Heating. Being an entrepreneur, Emil purchased the company in 1938 and renamed it Pahor Sheetmetal, where he earned a reputation for quality.
After being purchased in 2000, by MMC Corp, the company was able to offer a wider array of mechanical services and changed its name from Pahor Air Conditioning to Pahor Mechanical Contractors, Inc. Today, Pahor Mechanical offers services in HVAC, plumbing, process and high purity piping, and equipment setting. They work in several market segments, including commercial, healthcare, industrial, education, and power generation.
Becoming 100% ESOP Owned
The Sanders brothers achieved their goal of giving the employees the company when, on December 16, 2002, MMC Corp redeemed the remaining Sanders’ stock by making the ESOP the sole shareholder. In a three-year period, the corporation made a quick transition from family-run business to one operated by professional managers. Tom Sanders served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, as the Sanders brothers gave increasing responsibility to the president of MMC Corp.
In 2002, MMC Corp restructured the subsidiaries to reflect how they were being operated. Midwest Mechanical Group, Inc. was formed as a holding company for all four mechanical contracting companies. While we have the resources and backing of MMC Corp, each company is independently operated and has it's own identity, and each office pursues it's own work. Additionally in 2002, in conjunction with MMC Corp becoming a 100% ESOP company, the board of directors was restructured to include outside directors for the first time in the company history.
The Legacy We Build On
In May 2006, Midwest broke ground on a new office / fabrication shop / warehouse facility. A few short months later, the company moved to its new home in Kansas City, Missouri on October 20, 2006. The new 41,000+ square foot facility provides greater communication and increased space for both field, shop and office support personnel.
Barely a year later, in October 2007 Midwest Mechanical Service, Inc. rejoined the organization as well. This marked a significant milestone for the company as field, shop, service and office personnel were "united back under one roof" for the first time in over a decade!
Today, the original company, Midwest Mechanical Contractors, Inc. located in Kansas City, provides a full range of construction services for projects nationwide, specializing in mechanical installations for healthcare, energy, pharmaceutical, industrial, commercial, and fabrication projects.
We are a unique corporation, unlike many other in the construction industry. Our legacy comes from three family-owned businesses. From our founders we have inherited the unifying themes of integrity, quality craftsmanship, teamwork, and entrepreneurial spirit. These core values have been essential to our growth from a home-based business in 1932 to a national construction services corporation today.