Lane Plumbing

It had been a decade since Bob Lane moved his business into a renovated building on Middlebelt Road, in Garden City, Mi, so he was surprised to receive a 2009 beautification Award. "The guy who nominated me (Ken Versele) came to me and said it was the third time he had nominated me," said Lane, owner of Lane Plumbing. "I was a little shocked. I've been here a while. I try to keep it nice - mowed and trimmed, the trucks maintained." A Garden City resident since he was age 6, Lane started his business in 1993 and the following year also began working as a plumber for Ford Motor Company. When he decided to find a place for his business, Lane found a brick building at 6738 Middlebelt Road, just north of the Garden City High School parking lot. "It had been vacant for nearly 17 years. The property was formerly a trailer repair business and wrecker service," Lane stated."There was a six-foot tall fence that was rusty, with weeds growing around it. There was no parking lot. Most of the work on the building was cosmetic, but it took about six months before it was ready for for business. I did a lot of landscaping and put in bushes and trees. It looked like a vacant lot with a building. The fence was an eyesore, it looked terrible," Lane remarked. "The berm and hedges make prettier to look at. I added the privacy fence to hide the yard. We usually keep the yard tidy and visually appealing. In his nomination for the award presented by the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Authority, DDA board member Versele cited Lanes efforts cleaning up the dilapidated property and making it a pleasure to look at it. He is consistently maintaining and improving the entire site," Versele stated in his nomination. Family and friends helped get the site in good shape initially and Lanes son Spencer and the employees spend a lot of time keeping the business clean and tidy. The Lane group also takes care of flowers and seasonal decorations at the building. "We always want it shiny and bright. Most plumbing places have yards with pipes and and junk all over," Lane admitted. "I don't allow that to happen. It's your reputation at stake." Lane has had six master plumbers at one time, but like most companies, has been forced to downsize due to the economy. Lane Plumbing and Heating does residential and commercial plumbing, backflow testing and boiler repairs as well as dormers, additions and complete bathroom and kitchen remodels.