Stéphane Brochu is the inventor of Alu-Rex’s Gutter Clean System® and T-Rex® gutter protection systems. He developed the product and played a key role in bringing it to market. In 2001, he co-founded Alu-Rex with his brother Guy to provide homeowners with an effective solution for protecting their gutters. Here, Stéphane answers questions about the development of his first products and the birth of the company.
The idea came from a real need. As a gutter installer, I had clients requesting mesh covers, but I wasn’t comfortable recommending existing products because they simply didn’t work. That’s when I decided to create a strong, easy-to-install, and highly effective gutter protection system. I started developing prototypes, and that’s how it all began.
My hands-on experience showed me that many homeowners needed a reliable gutter guard. It also gave me the technical knowledge to refine and improve the product’s design for maximum efficiency and durability.
After conducting a market study with my clients, my brother Guy and I assessed the price homeowners would be willing to pay and the potential sales volume. We quickly realized there was a strong demand for gutter protection—many homeowners simply didn’t want to climb ladders for maintenance.
Following this analysis and finalizing the first gutter guard model, we founded Alu-Rex to meet this need. After nearly seven years of development, I was ready to bring the Gutter Clean System® to market!
We started by going door-to-door, visiting gutter installation companies to sell and distribute the Gutter Clean System®. Installers in Quebec City were initially skeptical, as many had been our competitors. So, we focused on the Montreal market first, then expanded to the U.S., Western Canada, and Ontario—with the help of interpreters..
Just two months after launching the Gutter Clean System®, I had the idea of combining gutter and gutter guard installation into a single step. That’s how the Fixa-Tech continuous hanger—now known as the T-Rex®—was born.
Yes, based on the success of similar products in the U.S. At the time, the gutter guard market there was about 15 years ahead of Canada, so we saw an opportunity to introduce the concept here.
With a dynamic and skilled team, I see Alu-Rex growing stronger than ever. I believe that building a company as a team is far more effective than going at it alone, and I’m excited about the future.