For Surge Homes Executive Chairman Ben Lemieux, part of succeeding in the business world is realizing that the successful have a responsibility to give back to the communities in which they live.
Lemieux says his father, Serge, passed on this lesson to him, and he tries to follow the example of his father, who died in 2011.
This month, Lemieux spearheaded a charity golf and bicycle event that raised more than $180,000 for a hospital’s cardiology department.
Surge Homes, a residential real estate developer and builder, is based in Houston. Lemieux spends his time between Montreal and Houston when he is not travelling somewhere in the world to meet investors for the fast-growing company.
The money raised by the Serge Lemieux Golf and Bike Fundraiser – yes, the event is named after Lemieux’s father – will go towards buying equipment and providing training for doctors, nurses and other staff in the cardiology department at Charles Le Moyne Hospital in the Montreal area.
Ben Lemieux has been a board member of the hospital’s charity foundation since 2012 and has served as the board’s president since 2015. His father served on the hospital foundation’s board for more than 10 years before dying of a heart attack while bicycling in 2011.
Nathalie Boudreau, executive director of the Charles Le Moyne Hospital Foundation, said the Lemieux family has long put into practice the idea that the successful should give back to their communities. Charles Le Moyne Hospital relies on donations to upgrade some equipment and provide advanced training in specialties.
“Ben is walking in the footsteps of his father,” she said. “He makes a very big difference.”
Ben Lemieux donated to the golf and bike fundraiser and Surge Homes also donated $5,000. Additionally, Lemieux persuaded many friends and acquaintances to participate in the golf tournament or bike events. In all, 144 golfers took part in the tournament, and 30 cyclists rode either a 35-mile or a 50-mile course. (For any Franco-Canadian-philes out there, the event in French is called La Classique de golf et vélo Serge-Lemieux.)
Lemieux, who co-owns Surge Homes with company President Louis Conrad, said, “There are many people who give back to the less fortunate, but I would like to see even more of it. When you are fortunate, you should give back in time and money.”
Surge Homes is named after Serge Lemieux, who brought his son into the family real estate business and funded his real estate initiatives. Serge Lemieux passed on to his son his business knowledge as well as beliefs about how business people should conduct themselves.
“My dad had a big influence on my life and Louis’ life as well,” Ben Lemieux said. “Surge Homes has become an award-winning leader in its market because he gave us the money and the latitude to achieve success. I know my partner Louis Conrad recognizes that too, as he keeps a picture of my father on the wall of his office.”
Lemieux said his wife, Genevieve Letendre, and his three children – Philippe, Eve and Sophia – were very accommodating in giving him time to work on the hospital fundraiser. His children came to the golf tournament, and a new generation of Lemieux children have begun learning what it means to give back to their community, he said.
Conrad, who lives in Houston, also believes in giving back to his community. He devotes much of his free time to raising money for Covenant House Texas, a non-profit that helps homeless youth in Houston.
