I had an interesting conversation last week with Marie-Christine of Gouttières Samson et Fils, Alu-Rex product’s Elite installer. She told me how her father launched his business in 1995, and how his little company grew into a gutter industry success story on Montreal’s South Shore.
As someone who’s passionate about people’s stories and successes, I thought I would share her story with you.
Pierre Samson was tired of his long commute to work. He’d been toying with the idea of going into business for himself for quite some time when he came across an ad in the paper that caught his eye. A man was selling his gutter truck, probably to retire.
Which just goes to show you that one man’s joy is sometimes… another man’s opportunity.
Whether it was out of determination or sheer guts is hard to say, but Pierre made the decision to quit a stable job complete with benefits to go into the eavestrough business. After a week of intense on-the-job training, he was ready to start his new career. Not only did he prove to be a hard worker, but he also had a clear vision for the future of his business.
A few years later, his son Luc followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the company, followed by his daughter Marie-Christine. Today, Gouttière Samson is proud to be seen as a gutter Industry leader on Montreal’s South Shore.
The advent of gutter protectors led the team at Gouttière Samson to rethink their way of doing things. After trying a number of competing products, they quickly turned to Alu-Rex.
“Not only are Alu-Rex products top quality, but the sales coach and marketing services are above and beyond our expectations […] Christian [Bergeron, Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec Territory Manager] stopped by our office. I had all kinds of questions about the Double Pro. He immediately honed in on the things I didn’t understand and gave me the guidance and advice I needed get a thorough grasp on the technology behind the product […] I’m comfortable selling it now since it is so much more efficient with the vortex effect […] What’s more, your website is really comprehensive. It’s easy to find the tools you need, technical data sheets, how-to videos, photos, and so on. It’s a pleasure working with Alu-Rex. “
And when I asked her if it was also a pleasure installing gutter systems, she told me with a laugh about one contract from a few years’ back that her father and brother which they hadn’t accepted. It was at a house was mounted on stilts over the water on the edge of a river. After assessing the feasibility of the project, they had to wade in up to their waists and then climb on the roof since no bucket lift could reach the work area.
“The jobs aren’t always easy, but they make great stories to tell”
Author: Rachel Gagné, Alu-Rex