Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1039904
Who's Who Special Edition BBB MAGAZINE 15 I n an age when a potentially substandard service call is just the click of an online ad away, it's encouraging to know there are still experts out there who excel at what they do. And if the name of Lionel Boulet's business didn't give it away, his work ethic certainly would. As founder and owner of Excel Plumbing and Heating Ltd., a long-running provider of commercial and residential services, Boulet takes pride in remaining reliable and reasonably priced — even when his competition is running hot and cold. Having started Excel as a one-man operation in 1994 — fielding residential calls from his garage in Lorette — Boulet was soon expanding the company, amassing more (and more large-scale) commercial work, setting up shop in a new Winnipeg location on Plessis Road, and extending his team's reach as far as northern Manitoba and even Ontario. A journeyman plumber and certified pipefitter, Boulet completed his apprenticeship training through Red River College in his mid-20s, later serving with J. Omand & Son and Fort Garry Plumbing and Heating before striking out on his own. Now specializing in repair and renovation projects — everything from hot water tanks and in-floor heating to gas piping installation and sewer and water hook-ups — Boulet is in good company, given that a penchant for hands-on trades work seems to run in his genes. "My dad was a custom builder, so the trades have always been in our family," he says. "My one brother is a plumber who has his own company, I've got another brother who has a heating company, and another brother who has a sewer and drain company." Even Boulet's sons are carrying on the family tradition. Dylan, 26, is also a journeyman plumber and pipefitter, while Stefan, 21, is a fourth-year apprentice. Naturally, both are regular presences at their father's job sites. Boulet says all his employees model the Excel ethos while out on the job, delivering honest, high-quality work and upholding a standard of self-sufficiency, professionalism and respect. It's a mandate that's served him well, as both a tradesman and an entrepreneur. "You need to have respect for your employees and your customers," says Boulet, an outdoorsmen who enjoys hunting, fishing and golfing — plus the occasional motorcycle road trip. "There's not always as much work nowadays, and there's too many guys out there that are under-cutting the competition. It's why we stay at our same price … we've got a fair price, so we've stayed with it." Since much of his business relies on word of mouth, Boulet is committed to cultivating a good reputation with his clients, one he says is strengthened even further by his accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. "We've gotten quite a few references and jobs from there," he says of the BBB's online profile for Excel, which as of this fall boasted an A+ rating. "People check online nowadays before hiring companies. If your accreditation is good, that's a good thing — for you and them." ❙ Learn more at excelplumbingandheating.ca EXCEL PLUMBING AND HEATING LTD. A Tradition of Excellence HIGH STANDARDS ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS AND ITS CLIENTS Owner Lionel Boulet with sons Stefan (middle) and Dylan. Photo by Darcy Finley