Gem Plumbing & Heating recently won the 2004 “Family-Owned Small Business of the Year” Award presented by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and it did so, significantly, for both the RI and Regional New England SBA Districts. 2004 marked the first year the Family-Owned Small Business Award has been presented by the SBA.   Gem was named 2004 Family-Owned Small Business of the Year during their annual Salute to Small Business. The award recognizes the four Gemma brothers who operate the business – Anthony, Leonard, Larry, and Edward.

The SBA Awards for Gem came on the heels of the 2004 SBANE Innovation Award, which Gem shared with just four other companies throughout New England.

Earlier this year, Gem won the “Best Company to Work For” Award for the New England region, given by the trade publication Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News, a leading national weekly publication serving the plumbing and mechanical trades.

‘We’re deeply honored to be recognized by the SBA,” says Anthony Gemma, President and COO of Gem Plumbing & Heating Services, the residential service unit of Gem. “These awards confirm our belief that we’re truly delivering on our promise to be the best, and to provide a level of customer service that exceeds all expectations. Our employees are the heart and soul of Gem, so these awards are really for them.”  In addition to the residential service portion of the business operated by Anthony Gemma, brothers Leonard and Edward run Gem Mechanical, the commercial side of the business, and Larry Gemma serves as operations chief. Together the brothers have overseen Gem’s rapid growth in recent years to a $35 million a year company.

Gem Plumbing and Heating is located in Lincoln, RI, and employs over 300 people in its residential and commercial divisions. The company has been owned and operated by the Gemma family since 1949. As a leader in its industry, Gem focuses on best practices and innovative world-class customer service, marketing and employee training programs.