Arlington Leon Eastmond Jr., President of EASCO Boiler Corporation, passed away at the age on 95 on Aug. 9, 2022.
“Leon” as he was affectionately known, was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mentor to dozens. He will always be remembered as both a titan and trailblazer in the boiler industry. Leon made the Eastmond name synonymous with boilers.
As a Black man whose family hailed from Barbados, Leon defied all odds by building the largest Black-owned boiler manufacturing enterprise in the country. Starting at the tender age of 12, he began working alongside his father in the family’s Harlem-based blacksmith business, A.L. Eastmond & Sons, founded in 1926. In 1957, Leon became the Chief Operating Officer of the company and in 1972, he relocated the company headquarters to the Hunts Point Industrial Complex in the South Bronx. With keen foresight and acute business acumen, Leon forged a path forward for EASCO to become a household name in the commercial boiler market.
In 1976, he acquired the historic, high-quality Federal Boiler name, which later became the “Eastmond Boiler Line.” Over the decades, EASCO manufactured over 16,000 boilers. EASCO products are in notable locations across the United States and internationally, including Harvard University, Yankee Stadium, the former World Trade Center and the National Geographic Building in Washington, DC. Leon trained hundreds in the art of boiler-making and launched the careers of countless successful entrepreneurs in the boiler industry today.
Leon lived the mantra that “with great success comes great responsibility.” The walls of his office at EASCO are filled with dozens of awards and accolades he received over the years in recognition for his lifetime commitment to philanthropy, entrepreneurship, civic and community engagement. These include Crain’s New York Business Top Entrepreneurs, Humanitarian Award for Katrina Efforts, Leadership Award for Advancing Minority Business, Trailblazer Award and The Second Chance Award for employing the formerly incarcerated.
Arlington Leon Eastmond left his mark on the lives of many. We thank him for the lessons he taught, the opportunities he provided and the example of hard work and dedication he set for the world to see. His rich legacy lives on through all that were fortunate to know him.
