Staying ahead of the game

Marc Desmeules and Pier-Luc Levasseur met in 2013 when they were working on the same job site. Eventually they ended up working for a company installing heat pumps, but at the end of November 2016, the company shut down; the young men lost their jobs. “With a 6-month-old son, it was tough,” Desmeules says. “We needed to find some work as fast as we could, so we decided to start our own business. We had nothing to lose.” 

With the help of CBDC, a month later they co-founded MXP Electric Inc. Although they had no idea what the future would hold, they were willing to put in long hours to get the company up and running. It’s paid off. 

From their head office in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Desmeules explains, “We primarily offer electrical connection services for new residences or to businesses with turnkey projects. Our services also include electrical renovation, LED lighting replacement, electrical panel replacement and new electrical circuit additions such as outlets, switches, breakers, electric vehicle charging stations, transfer systems for generators—to name a few.” 

MXP Electric is also the only authorized retailer in New Brunswick offering a new LED-based “celebration lighting” technology for homes and businesses. This innovative one-of-a-kind Celebright service sets their company apart from their competitors. 

In today’s business world it’s also important to be savvy in many mediums to attract customers. MXP Electric uses social networks, radio advertising, newspapers, and television to get the word out about their products and services. With a goal of being visible and easily accessible, the company’s marketing strategy is highly diversified.

In another noteworthy achievement, MXP Electric’s staff has been trained to install certain charging stations for electric vehicles, that is, the new bidirectional charging stations that will soon be on the market for new vehicles such as the Ford F-150 Lightning. Future users will be able to charge their vehicles rapidly or even supply a family home in the event of a power failure. 

The company also offers internship opportunities. Last year, two young students from Le Vitrail (an alternative school in Edmundston) and two students from Cité des Jeunes A.-M. Sormany got a chance to experience what’s involved in the trade. 

“By adding new employees and training them, they will become more autonomous and have the leadership skills they need to manage the company,” Desmeules says. “That way, we will have more flexibility so we can focus on future projects.” 

Short term company goals include learning new skills focused on technologies related to electric vehicles, and solar energy, and acquiring experience in the areas of leadership and team training.  In the medium term, the co-founders plan to expand the company’s geographical reach, acquire more contracts and more employees. Down the road, they plan to purchase a commercial space that will give them more visibility and storage room for their inventory and tools. 

Tip for anyone considering starting their own business? Desmeules says, “Work Hard, don’t be afraid of the unknown and follow your dream.”