Our Roots

In 1909 John E. Green founded a plumbing and heating business with $20.00 in cash, strong arms, a great deal of courage, faith, and the added responsibility of a new child. John E. Green Company’s first location was a store at Woodward and Oakland, at the end of a streetcar line, near the city limits of Detroit, Michigan. In those early days, John E. Green Company (JEG) installed plumbing and simple heating systems in Highland Park’s new residences.

In 1911, John E. Green moved the business to the corner of Tennyson and Brush. JEG’s shop and warehouse operated out of the family’s barn where he kept the chickens, homing pigeons and “Old Dan,” the company horse.

As the city of Detroit expanded north, west, and east, the John E. Green Company expanded with it, opening a branch store at Woodward and Ten Mile in Royal Oak to service the new suburbs. During the company’s first decade, the company’s ten to fifteen employees were continuously employed servicing the luxurious new residences of the North Woodward and Grosse Pointe areas.

When the stock market collapsed in 1929, the Woodward store closed, and operations were consolidated back to the Highland Park office. The company survived the Depression by doing repair and remodeling work.

In 1934, John E. Green Company incorporated, entered a new era and emerged from the depression by landing its first industrial job, the remodeling of a parts warehouse for General Motors. It was the dawning of the company’s investment in industrial and institutional mechanical contracting.

During the mid-thirties, John E. Green’s two sons, Ed Green and Don Green, began working full-time for their father’s company. The boys had grown up with the business helping their father in the store and the shop, doing everything from sweeping to cutting and threading pipe, to canvassing neighborhoods door-to-door. With both sons in the business, the John E. Green Company began to expand rapidly in the industrial market and institutional fields.

In 1946, the John E. Green Company out-grew its original location and moved across town to Victor Avenue in Highland Park, Michigan, where its headquarters remains today.

In 1947, when John E. Green passed away, Ed Green took over as President and Don Green as Secretary/Treasurer. Through their leadership and with the able assistance of key employees, the JEG Company prospered and grew steadily over the next two decades.

By the sixties, John E. Green Company was recognized as one of the largest mechanical contractors in Michigan. With the addition of Peter J. Green (Ed’s oldest son and John E. Green’s grandson) in 1963, the third generation of the Green family entered the business. In 1967 a John E. Green Company branch office was opened in Saginaw, MI.

Then in 1974, Ed Green passed away suddenly. In the next two years, three more deaths of key personnel left voids in the company’s executive leadership. To endure these losses and keep company performance at a high level required a cooperative effort by the entire company.

Don Green took on the tasks of president while Peter Green became the Executive Vice President and John R. Green, Ed’s youngest son who joined the company in 1974, assumed the role of Secretary-Treasurer. Other key employees assumed additional Management and executive responsibilities to fill the void left during the early seventies.

Thanks to the commitment of hard-working, loyal employees, John E. Green Company enjoyed a decade of consistent growth under the leadership of the third and fourth generation of company management.

In 1989, fourth generation Michael J. Green joined the company. Throughout the 1990’s John E. Green Company consistently ranked as the largest mechanical contracting company headquartered in Michigan and one of the largest in the country. JEG opened its Nashville, TN office, and in 1998 Michael moved to Petoskey, MI to open and run the JEG office, with a Marquette branch opening shortly after.

Throughout the 20th century, Detroit and the construction industry underwent significant transformations. The John E. Green Company not only witnessed these changes but also adapted and thrived within this evolving industry. In 2007, Benjamin J. Green joined the company. Over four generations, the steadfast commitment of John E. Green Company remained unchanged – a promise to deliver high-quality work with integrity and efficiency.

In 2012, under difficult company and industry times, Michael J. Green became President. Michael is now the majority owner and President, CEO and Chairman, and Ben Green is an owner / Executive Vice President. Since 2012, JEG has expanded and doubled its revenue to over $500 Million in 2023.

In 2019, Charlie J. Green joined the company full-time as an Estimator / Project Manager. Charlie interned for 5 years and graduated with a Construction Management degree from Michigan State University prior to being hired. Charlie is the first fifth-generation owner – continuing the legacy of the company name.

Marlee (Green) Bresso, joined JEG right before COVID. Marlee led the Human Resources department, navigated the new territory of the Covid-19 global pandemic crisis, and helped organize new work-from-home policies. Marlee is now an owner and the JEG Human Resources Director.

In 2020, John E. Green Company landed its largest job to date. JEG’s Design-Build Division, led by Executive Vice President Todd Pugh, was awarded Ultium Cells (UI) in Lordstown, Ohio. This was the first of three Ultium Cells battery plant projects which JEG was the Mechanical Trade Partner.

2024 is JEG’s 115th year in operation. John E. Green Company stands as Michigan’s top mechanical contractor. The company has developed skilled individuals and established efficient procedures for installing cutting-edge mechanical and fire suppression systems throughout diverse markets. As a company, we take pride in staying true to our Core Values of Safety, Quality, Integrity, and Service. Without these roots and the visionary courage of John E. Green, none of our achievements would be possible today.