By REBECA KUROPATWA
Born in Birobidzhan, in the heart of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast on the east edge of Russia, Alexander Bazer moved to Israel with his parents after his 13th birthday.
Growing up, Bazer and his family did not have a lot of contact with other Jews, but Yiddish was often spoken at home.
When the possibility to move to Israel opened up in the 1990s, Bazer’s parents jumped at the opportunity. In 1992, the family moved to Israel, settling in Ma’alot-Tarshiha in the north, like many other families from Birobidzhan.
After graduating from high school, Bazer enlisted in the Israeli navy and served as a mechanic for five-and-a-half-years, after which he studied mechanical engineering in Akko.
Bazer moved to Bat-Yam and met his now-wife, Marina. The young couple moved with their six-month-old, Nikita, to Winnipeg, in 2008. They had at first thought to move to Montreal, but opted for Winnipeg, as they had friends who had moved here before them.
“When I came to Canada here, for two weeks, I applied for jobs, but I find language barrier,” said Bazer. “Eventually, after two weeks, I find a job with Roto-Rooter as a drain technician. I start to work there, it was good company. I worked there for one year, I believe.
“After this I move to being an automatic doors technician, traveling across Manitoba to fix the doors. And when I was working there, I started my own business cleaning drains and plumbing, small, it was just me. After a few years, I was doing my business full-time.
“I started to have more clients, so I could not just do this part-time. So, from 2010, we had a full blast of the business almost. Right now, I have eight people (employees).”
What began as just minor plumbing and drain cleaning has since morphed into a full-service drain cleaning company, equipped with all the latest tools and technology to achieve the best results for clients, both commercial and residential. As well, there are now full plumbing services – from planning to installation in new and existing construction plumbing – a one-stop-shop.
“We’re also doing bathroom renovation – offering exclusive bathtubs and showers surround, which is custom-manufactured for each individual bathroom,” said Bazer. “The product comes in a wide selection of colours, textures, and patterns, allowing customers to achieve the look they want.”
According to Bazer, the product is superior to what can be found in DIY stores, and it comes with a manufacturer and Rocket-Rooter lifetime Warranty. It is a non-porous material that is mold and mildew resistant. And, though the product is installed in panels, it is grout-free for easier cleaning and maintenance.
“For the senior people or people who have hard time to get inside the tub, we have the ability to install a door at the side of their existing tub that they can just step inside of,” said Bazer. “So, they don’t need to lift their leg up too much over the tub. We are just cutting the side of the tub and putting a special trim and a door. So, it’s going to look nice. And, if people want to fill up the water, the door is all waterproof. But, it’s a nice low step.”
If a client wants to replace their old tub with a walk-in tub, Rocket Rooter can do that, but their install-a-door-solution is much more affordable. For around $1000 and within three-to-four hours of work, they are able to transform an existing tub into a walk-in tub.
Bazer also recently added mechanical services as part of what his company offers, with a focus on the industrial side. These are often government projects, but there are smaller ones as well. Rocket Rooter also offers residential services for furnaces, air conditioning units, HVAC, and all other home mechanical systems.
For more information, visit www.rocketrooter.ca
