In 1963, three electricians and friends—Lord, Manny and Landry—seeking to amalgamate in order to take on larger hi-voltage projects joined forces to form LML Electric. What started out as a standard electrical contractor with a team of 12 employees has evolved into the top provider of turnkey electrical solutions in Eastern Canada.
Headquartered in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, an unwavering dedication to the top technology in electricity, automation, excavation, mechanics and energy has made LML grow to one of the largest private companies as a specialized contractor in the field of electricity in Montérégie.
For 60 years, the Groupe LML has offered an all-in-one service of expertise in electricity, automation, excavation, industrial and process mechanics, and green energy. LML today comprises of five distinct divisions and more than 120 employees.
32 years later after LML was founded, two of the original 12 employees at the time— Réjean Quintal and Fernand Raymond—bought the company, with Quintal taking on role of President and Jean-Luc Cossette and Philippe Labarre, co-managers.
As LML celebrates its 6th decade, Business Elite Canada spoke with Mr. Quintal about the changing needs of LML clients and how the company stays constantly plugged into new technology.
Monumental Growth
In 1997, Quintal recognized a burgeoning need for automation in all industries, going so far as to suggest to the Department of Education the creation of a new course on industrial automation systems to prepare the future for the arrival of waves of future automation products and equipment.
“One of our strengths is from the moment a customer demands something, we are able to give them a turnkey solution in almost all of our departments that we cover,” says Quintal. “Being almost vertically integrated in our services allows our engineers to design, draw, build, repair, make work, install, the perfect solution for their needs. We are solution providers for our customers.”
“With the changing world, we began to have more and more work for the automation department that was taking more and more space,” says Quintal. “There was new equipment coming in through established customers, all now equipped with PLC and sophisticated sensors on all electronics components. We took on more specialised technicians and field engineers to fit into the new reality of the market and respond to our customer needs.”
LML then recognized the large market opportunity in highway lighting, capitalizing on the work the Department of Transportation needed to update the roadways.
“As our customer base grew, all sorts of demands began to emerge,” says Quintal. “One of them was to become a panel builder, so we added a new section in our shop. We have about 20 engineers of all types—electrical, automation, programming, mechanical, and more—that help to put into shape what the customers want.”
Next came the Industrial Mechanics division, then the Mechanical Process division trying to respond to the growing demand. More people were hired.
As time went by Mr. Quintal added a new arrow to his bow: Énergie Net Zéro, which reduces energy consumption in existing and new buildings.
To do so, Quintal explains “First, we eliminate or reduce energy consumption as much as possible, and then produce the rest of the necessary power with solar panels depending on the type of industries.”
As for that part, Quintal has invented a new window insert (patent pending) that could help a lot to drastically reduce energy consumption in existing building and further more working with new HVAC methods, cost can also be highly reduced. “This window insert is the corner stone of our basic strategy to lower energy cost. In a couple of months, the solution that we have been working over for the last seven years should be ready to be commercialised.”
This forward thinking is at the root of everything LML produces. “I try to project myself in the future,” says Quintal. “What is going to happen in the future? Where will we be in one year? Two years? Three or five years? What will be the tending trend? What will our customer want and what are they going to ask as for services in the future? How is the economy going to respond to the changing climate and all the disaster that will happen because of that?”
“I want to create an impact on my surroundings with the decisions I am going to make for the future of the company and the planet,” says Quintal. “For so many years I tried to put in the mind of the people the importance that our planet has for our survival, throughout many simple things that can be done.
“We are deeply involved in R&D for lowering the overall cost of energy consumption in existing buildings and new ones. We have found so many ways to reduce the overall energy bills of the buildings through electrical, HVAC, controls and insulation, and windows covering that we think we could easily reduce the average heating and cooling bill by half. And of course, every time we are talking to our customers and utilities, they all want the winning recipe to achieve that goal.”
Thankfully, LML has a trusted team of highly capable engineers. “Nothing can be accomplished without our dedicated team,” says Quintal. “I never was shy to get myself surrounded with people stronger than me in their domain, that could put in place, in their own way, the objectives that were set in the beginning. That strategy as always help me to achieve my goals, steady growth and mostly the satisfaction of my customers with excellent service and the best of material.”
Quintal walks the walk, having recently built a 12,500 square foot home that, because of his environmental stewardship, runs on an electrical bill of less than $ 500.00 per year, which includes the $12 for the meter from hydro Quebec!
As LML enters its 6th decade, it will be exciting to see the dividends of LML’s environmental protection and can-do attitude. The future is very bright and promising.
For more information on how to get in touch with Groupe LML, please visit www.groupelml.ca
