Road Warrior By Greg Dalgetty
Makin’ It Rain with
Monsieur Drain S
ome people are merely passengers in the service van of life. Others grasp the steering wheel firmly with both hands and take control. Howard Cohen falls into the latter category. Born into the plumbing trade, Cohen’s father ran a successful plumbing business in Montreal for 52 years. Howard started working for him as an apprentice when he was 18. “I got my plumbing licence, and then I got my master plumbing licence,” he recalls. “I worked in the truck for many years, and then I started running the office.” But after 16 years of working for the family business, Cohen was ready to forge his own path forward. “I had all my cards and all my licences, all the experience from working as a tradesman,” he says. “I was well-versed all around in the industry.” So, together with his business partner David Kellner, Cohen started Monsieur Drain, a 24-hour service company specializing in drain clearing and excavation.
Photos: François LeClair
“We started it up, and it really took off,” Cohen says. “We saw it grow and grow and we’ve been hiring more and more guys.”
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