Executive Suite: Sam Mirian, West Babylon

Sam Mirian points to a photograph of a floating barge, with the Statue of Liberty in the background, that he had just received on his computer.

"This is our product," he says proudly, referring to the condensers on board bound for a power plant in Astoria.

An engineer, he launched his business, Megrant Corp., in 1985. It's now based in West Babylon, and projects include installing the heating system in the Freedom Tower at Ground Zero.

Sales have quadrupled over the past couple years as the firm moved to lock up projects before the economy began to sour.

Mirian, 70, heads the Boilermakers Association of Greater New York and is on the board of the New York City Building Trades Employers Association. A volunteer for an organization that helps sick children from abroad get medical treatment in the United States, he is married and the father of two.

Has the recession affected business?
"Somehow I had the sense of knowing what's coming. Therefore, we booked 2½ years ago enough work to take us through 2012. So this recession is not going to affect us, and hopefully by 2012 we will have new business coming in. It was a good guess, and we went aggressively after several projects." 

What are your plans for growth?
Each year since 2008, "we have been doubling our volume. Next year we will do more than this year.  . . . Green energy -- we'd like to get engaged in that." 

What's your strategy for taking on the competition?
"We have extremely controlled overhead. Our people in the company produce. If you control overhead, you control the cost." 

What do you look for in hiring?
"We look at education, experience . . . integrity, the friendliness of the person. We are like a family here." 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a business?
"Do what you love, do what you know, do what you think is the right thing. Surround yourself with people whom you trust and respect, treat them like you would want to be treated, and remember your customer comes first." 

What would you change about Long Island?
"Businesses should move to attract the younger people. The younger people nowadays are all running toward Manhattan. You have to make it more fun to work on Long Island."

CORPORTE SNAPSHOT
Name: Sam Mirian
Title: President
Company: Megrant Corp.
Business: Repair, maintenance of power plants and equipment
Location: West Babylon; shops in Coeymans, N.Y.; Manhattan and metro area airports
Type: Private company
Revenue: $20 million in 2010
Employees: 100, including 50 on Long Island