Northeastern Masonry & Chimney was founded by Joseph Shear in 1993, after working for a local chimney company in Albany. During the next 5 years Joe and his small work force cleaned, inspected and repaired all types of chimneys and performed general masonry repairs. During this time he was eager to learn more about this specialty industry and began to attend seminars and education from his local and National Chimney Guild. In 1999 he and his current staff became nationally certified through the Chimney Safety Institute of America (www.csia.org). It became very apparent and he quickly realized that the chimney was a major system of the home and should be taken very seriously. The persona of a man with a top hat and a chimney brush with no education could be a potential hazard. By the year 2001, Northeastern Masonry & Chimney had grown to having over 6,000 satisfied customers and 6 full times employees.

They were also recognized as leaders in chimney restorations and even restored the fireplaces at the Governors' Mansion in Boston, Massachusetts. We have performed restorations at the historical site in Hyde Park, the Franklin D. Roosevelt home. We work closely with the New York State Parks and Recreations and have done work at many historical sites. Joe was one of the industries' first to offer a closed circuit video inspection of the interior walls of chimneys. This was allowing the customers to take a view of the conditions inside their home. Northeastern Masonry & Chimney is one of the few companies that does not charge an additional fee for this service. We feel this is necessary for the safety of our customers and their families.

In the year 2007, Joe and his employees realized there was a need for an alternative heating solutions business and opened Northeastern Fireplace & Design. At that time they moved their headquarters to a larger facility where they could have a complete showroom for their customers to visit.

Again, education was an important piece of this and several of our employees are certified to the National Fire Institute of America for installing and servicing gas, wood and pellet stoves. As of 2010, we have over 17,000 satisfied customers.

Without our dedicated employees and family that work with the business, we could not provide the continued service, just one customer at a time.

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