Saint-Laurent has new neighbors: Levine Bros., plumbing pros. Here’s what they can tell us, those who see beyond our walls…

What brings Levine Bros. to the neighborhood? Their old building in Lachine, where they’d been located for eight years, has been sold and will be demolished this summer. Without a roof, the company looked everywhere for a new home: in the Technoparc, in Lachine, in Lasalle, and up north… In vain.

Finally, they found what they were looking for in the former Baylis Medical building, which recently went on the market. “We walked in, and the layout inside was spectacular! Right away, I saw the potential of what we could do with it,” says Ben Levine, president of Levine Bros.

“Then we went outside… When you’re waiting to exit Décarie, you can get through here. I waved to people in my car, and they waved back!” » The welcome was already warm for the new entrepreneurs in the neighborhood.

Levine Bros. operates mainly in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and westward (Hampstead, Westmount, Saint-Laurent, downtown, Côte-Saint-Luc, West Island), but also a little to the east, notably in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. In terms of clientele, they have roughly an equal number of residential and commercial properties, including residential rental buildings. They serve clients like Couche-Tard, Cineplex, TD, CIBC, and Scotia Bank.

“I think we’re unique in our field: big enough to handle emergencies like large corporations, but with the communication and personal touch of small businesses,” says Ben.

Plumbing, heating, natural gas: they do everything from leaky faucets to replacing the boiler room in an industrial building, including installing water meters. “I like to say we become partners in helping people take care of their properties, in every way.”

A True “Bros” Story

A century-old company, Levine Bros. lives up to its name. Ben Levine’s great-grandfather was a blacksmith. He made the metal hoops for car tires, which were originally made of wood. “When we switched to rubber, he lost his job. His son, Arthur, was a plumber on construction sites. So they decided to partner up. Back then, everything was repairable: they went to people’s homes, took down radiators, brought them back to the shop to repair them with their metal tools, and then reinstalled them.”

Ben’s grandfather, Jack, was 17 years younger than his brother Arthur. When Jack was 15, he delivered bags of groceries on his bicycle. One day, he was driving with a very heavy sack of potatoes loaded in the back, and he fell. Arthur saw the accident involving his car. He stopped, finished the delivery for him, and put the bike in the back of his truck. He went to the grocery store and told them, “Jack just made his last delivery for you. He’s going to work for me now.” And that’s how the “Bros” started!

Today, the company is still run by two “bros”: Ben and his brother-in-law, Jacob Bratin.

What plumbing diagnosis for Montreal?

What can a service call tell us about the state of Montreal’s housing stock?

First, “people don’t maintain their heating systems enough. There’s not enough recurring preventative maintenance,” notes Ben Levine.

Then, in condos, drain cleaning is often neglected. There’s a big difference between a cleaning—which restores the drain to its original condition—and a simple unclogging, when all you do is “drill a hole in the grease.” Without proper cleaning, the situation can become critical, especially in buildings constructed in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, whose pipes are now galvanized. “Their diameter is getting smaller and smaller…”

A flair for innovation… and for the community

Levine Bros. ensures it’s at the forefront of water protection. They install automatic water shutoff systems, which are very effective in limiting damage in the event of a leak. They also work with artificial intelligence systems.

In addition, Ben is currently training as a water quality technician to conduct filtration and treatment tests. “What I’m particularly proud of? When the City sends out notices to install water meters, the photos they use are of our installations.”

But that’s not all. The company is also very socially committed. “We’re members of the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation and involved in several charities. We’re always looking for ways to give back.” For example, Levine Bros. has refurbished bathrooms at women’s shelters, helped women in these shelters adapt their new apartments once they regain their independence, and has also donated water fountains to the Old Brewery Foundation.

With their arrived in the neighborhood, Levine Bros promises to put its century-old expertise to work for the residents and businesses of Saint-Laurent. A welcome car greeting: Welcome aboard, bros!