When F. H. Maroney began doing business in 1923, it was primarily handling residential plumbing. 85 years later, however, the Haverhill contractor focuses on commercial work. Specializing in schools and hospitals, F. H. Maroney also handles restaurants, retail shops, hotels, condos, office buildings, and a wide variety of other projects. Its many capabilities include commercial refrigeration, sprinkler work, drain care, and fire prevention systems.

Third-generation owner Jim Maroney says that his grandfather, James A. Maroney, founded the shop. Jim's father, Francis, subsequently ran the business, but Jim had to assume control at a young age when his father died 37 years ago.

The contractor has 6 employees in its office and about 50 plumbers working in the field, depending on its project workload. It recently wrapped work at Haverhill High School. "We've come full circle there," says Maroney, who explains that his shop was the plumbing subcontractor that originally built the school in 1962.

As part of Haverhill High School's remodeling, F. H. Maroney installed new heating, air conditioning, and hot water systems, and brought the facility into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act's regulations. Other recent educational institution projects include Salem High School in Salem, MA and Manchester Public Schools in Manchester, NH. F. H. Maroney has also worked on projects such as Winchester Hospital, Addison-Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, and the Worcester County Jail in W. Boylston.

The shop became a signatory contractor around 1950, about the same time that it made the switch from residential to commercial work. Maroney says that the union affiliation has been great because he's been able to get highly qualified plumbers on an as-needed basis. "Even in hard times, we've been able to successfully man jobs," he says. F. H. Maroney had been working with Salem-based Local 138, which covered the northeast part of the state. After it merged with Local 12 in 2007, Local 138's members and signatory contractors became part of the Boston Local.

Maroney says that he has been expanding his service department, which currently keeps 10 plumbers busy working for clients such as Raytheon, Ozzie Properties in North Andover, and the cities of Methuen, Newburyport, Lawrence, and Haverhill. "Service has become an important part of our business," he says. "We don't just build new systems, we maintain them as well."