A plumber by profession, Gilles Langelier was working in Montréal in 1976 when he and his wife, Ginette, accepted an unexpected offer on their house and decided to make a permanent move to their summer cottage in Brébeuf, in the Laurentians.

That summer was spent quickly getting their new family home ready for the winter. The locals learned of Gilles’ expertise and requested his services. This gave the couple the idea to found a company, PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF, in November 1976. Ginette and Gilles did the work themselves, he on the road and she doing the accounting.

PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF’s first opened its doors in the spring of 1977, offering plumbing services as well as selling plumbing accessories and fixtures to meet the region’s needs. Every time Gilles passed a new house under construction, he would stop and give his card, even on Sundays while accompanied by his family. Barely a year, later the two entrepreneurs had so much work that they had to hire their first employees.

 

PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF’s began accepting larger contracts by the early 1980s, including large-scale construction projects like HLM in St-Jovite, Village Pinoteau and Club Tremblant (now Hôtel du Lac). Moreover, several projects led the team outside of the area, namely to James Bay.

It is its efficient service and generous sharing of information that cemented PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF Inc.’s reputation. The company first expanded in 1982, adding a showroom to display spas and different bathroom accessories. It expanded again a few years later, adding on a second floor to house the offices.

The Langelier children were involved in the family business from a very young age, heading to there after school to do their homework. At 10, Simon was already serving customers while Rémi showed off his manual skills by helping the team.

 

PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF Inc. gradually made a name for itself in obtaining municipal call for bids contracts for its water treatment service.

Around 1992, the company began selling hardware and other material it purchased from a neighbouring business that closed. In 1998, following the consolidation of the major renovation centres in St-Jovite, PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF Inc. once again focused solely on its specialized services.

When they were old enough to work, Simon and Rémi learned by watching their father and working with the team, mastering the business one step at a time. As such, the children took part in the company’s expansion by serving the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.

 

Today, the team carries out highly sophisticated work on a regular basis. Pumping, water treatment, gas line and even geothermal systems are all orchestrated by a team of specialists and engineers. PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF Inc. is now known throughout the province, in Trois-Rivières, Gatineau, Maniwaki, Valleyfield, Mont-Laurier and Abitibi, establishing trust in large-scale projects on large buildings, hotels and plants. Municipal and industrial calls for bids are opening doors and its reputation for quality and efficiency is spreading quickly by word of mouth. PLOMBERIE BRÉBEUF Inc. won the Association de construction du Québec’s Gala Construire 2003 and the Mont-Tremblant chamber of commerce’s award of excellence in 2005.

In 2004, Ginette and Gilles sold the company to their children, Simon and Rémi. Ginette decided to leave the business after 28 years of service, while Gilles preferred to continue working for pleasure. The second generation has taken over, leading the business to new heights and paving the way for the grandchildren who, like their fathers before them, head to the business after school to do their homework…