Some construction companies are defined by the projects they complete. Others become known for the people behind the work and the reputation they build over decades of consistently delivering for their clients. For nearly 90 years, Mac Felder has quietly established itself as one of New York City’s trusted plumbing contractors, growing from a neighborhood plumbing business into a union-affiliated contractor working on many of the city’s most recognizable developments. Along the way, the company has remained committed to the same qualities that built its reputation in the first place: dependable workmanship, experienced tradespeople, and relationships that continue to generate new opportunities.
Under the leadership of CEO and owner Amy Breslaw-Fox, the company has entered a new chapter while honoring the legacy established by its founder. Today, Mac Felder serves clients throughout all five boroughs of New York City, providing plumbing services ranging from maintenance and repairs to complex new construction projects across commercial, healthcare, residential, transportation, and institutional sectors.
The company’s story began in 1936 when Mac Felder established the business in Manhattan, focusing primarily on plumbing work for apartment buildings and the city’s iconic brownstones. “They were doing smaller plumbing work in more apartment settings and brownstones, and they did very well,” Amy recalled.
As the business grew, Mac Felder developed lasting relationships with property management companies and became the primary plumbing contractor for numerous buildings throughout Manhattan. Those early relationships established a reputation for reliability that would continue to shape the company’s future long after its founding.
Mac stepped away from the business, leaving his licensed plumber, Mickey, to oversee operations. Amy joined the company during that transition before purchasing the business herself, marking the beginning of a new era for Mac Felder.
Rather than simply maintaining the company’s existing operations, Amy recognized an opportunity to broaden its position within New York’s construction market. One of her first priorities was securing certification as a woman-owned business through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Those certifications have opened additional opportunities for both Mac Felder and the contractors with whom it partners. “That helps the General Contractors to hire us with the certifications,” Amy explained. “For instance, at the airports, it’s a plus to see that you are with the New York Port Authority.”
The move also positioned Mac Felder among the first union-affiliated, certified Women’s Business Enterprise licensed plumbing contractors in New York, strengthening its ability to compete on major public and institutional projects while reflecting the industry’s increasing emphasis on supplier diversity. Growth followed steadily. “We got bigger and got better,” Amy said. “I have a staff of 75 plumbers and 15 vans. We got more on computers, and we’ve got draftsmen helping with projects and the coordination of our jobs.”
Those investments reflect how the plumbing industry has evolved over the past two decades. While craftsmanship remains at the core of the business, successful project delivery increasingly depends on planning, coordination, and communication long before work begins in the field. By expanding its in-house capabilities, Mac Felder has been able to support increasingly complex commercial construction while maintaining the responsiveness that first earned the company its reputation.
Today, the company offers a comprehensive range of plumbing services, including repairs, maintenance, alterations, new construction, faucet replacement, filtration systems, water heaters, water testing, kitchens, and other plumbing installations. Its work extends across residential buildings, healthcare facilities, airports, and commercial developments throughout New York City. That diversity is reflected in the company’s project portfolio. Mac Felder has contributed to several of New York City’s most prominent developments, including work at 270 Park Avenue, the Condé Nast location at the Freedom Tower, the annex of the New York Public Library, and Wegmans in downtown Manhattan. Current work continues to demonstrate the company’s presence on high-profile projects throughout the city. The team is presently involved in two separate assignments at John F. Kennedy International Airport, completing plumbing installations for Air France while simultaneously supporting the construction of a new Starbucks location within Terminal 1. “We’re just building out all the restaurants and everything there,” Amy said, “the plumbing, the bathrooms, the kitchens, and the piping for them.”
Despite the scale of these projects, Amy believes the company’s continued success has less to do with marketing than with consistently delivering quality work. “It’s the work that we do, plus I have a lot of successful and smart plumbers, and it’s just word of mouth, we don’t even advertise,” she said. “We’re just well known in the field.”
For a business approaching nine decades of operation, that reputation has become one of its greatest competitive advantages. Relationships developed over many years continue to generate repeat opportunities, while satisfied clients introduce the company to new projects without the need for extensive advertising campaigns. Managing that growth requires discipline as much as ambition. Rather than pursuing every opportunity that becomes available, Amy believes long-term success depends on understanding the company’s capacity and maintaining the standards clients expect. “It’s going after the jobs we are able for and capable of doing,” she explained. “A lot of work is still coming out at the airports, and we’re bidding. “We are at a good capacity with our plumbers, and we will just continue to take on what we can handle—we don’t take on what we can’t handle.”
“We are at a good capacity with our plumbers, and we will just continue to take on what we can handle—we don’t take on what we can’t handle.”
This measured approach has allowed Mac Felder to expand steadily while preserving the quality that has defined the business for generations. Amy’s leadership has also brought another important dimension to the company’s identity. As one of relatively few women leading a union-affiliated plumbing contractor in New York City, she has become part of a broader shift taking place throughout the construction industry. While progress has been made, women remain significantly underrepresented in many skilled trades and construction leadership positions. Amy hopes that continues to change. “It does set me apart,” she said. “I own the company, and I go to different plumbing meetings, association meetings, and golf outings. There are maybe two handfuls of women who are there. I’ve been in this field for a while, and I’ve been a part of all of this, so I feel like I’ve finally found comfort. You feel like everyone else.”
For Amy, increasing representation is about more than diversity statistics. It is about ensuring talented people see construction as a career where they can succeed regardless of gender. “I love seeing women plumbers and women electricians. I love seeing women going into the fields. Anyone can do it, not just men. Women are needed. Just hearing them speak—I went to a new meeting on non-traditional employment for women, and one of the plumbers, not in my company but a local one, said she loves what she does, and that’s just the best thing to hear. It’s important to show that it’s not a male-dominated profession; women are making their marks.”
Amy believes she entered the industry at a time when attitudes were beginning to evolve, creating greater opportunities for women- and minority-owned businesses to compete on significant projects. “It was probably at a good time that I did it,” she reflected. “Things are changing, things with the state and the city, they want more women and diverse companies doing the jobs—MWBEs, minorities, and women, they’re giving them the opportunity.”
Nearly nine decades after Mac Felder first began serving Manhattan’s neighborhoods, the company continues to evolve alongside the city itself. From brownstones and apartment buildings to airports, libraries, and landmark commercial developments, its work has expanded dramatically while remaining rooted in the craftsmanship and professionalism that first established its name. Under Amy Breslaw-Fox’s leadership, Mac Felder is building on that legacy, demonstrating that investing in skilled people, embracing new opportunities, and maintaining uncompromising standards remain the strongest foundations for continued success.
