Beach Breeze Company Story
Growing up in northern Maine, founder Tom Lavin learned early on the value of workmanship and reliability.
Having been stationed at Presque Isle Air Force Base, his grandfather, Tom Lavin, Sr. relocated to northern Maine from Worcester, MA, and married Christabel Dillen of Mars Hill. As a plumber and entrepreneur, Lavin Sr. co-founded ‘Oak & Lavin Plumbing and Heating’ with Jim Oak, a local plumber. They went on to serve greater Presque Isle in the early 1950s with home plumbing and heating services from boiler and furnace replacements to bathroom remodeling.
Some years later, Tom Sr. would go on his own and founded ‘Tom Lavin Inc.’ The business quickly grew, and through the help of a talented team of local tradesmen and sales people. Tom was pivotal in the construction of many processing plants during the economic boom of the 50s and 60s in 'The County'. These included the Maine Sugar Industries plant venture in Easton. He worked tirelessly building processing plants like A&P Foods (processing fresh peas) in Washburn; McCain Foods (french fries and by- products); JM Huber (plywood and building materials); and many others, including Tater Meal, Birds Eye frozen foods, and AE Staley.
As a contractor in northern Maine, Tom Lavin Inc. needed to secure warehouse space in order to stock materials and supplies for the many projects currently under way and on the horizon. Negotiating a railroad siding warehouse deal with Bangor & Aroostook Railroad on Chapman Street in Presque Isle proved pivotal since the railroad agreed to rent Sr. a conservative amount of space to start and agreed to allow progressive expansion into the vacant warehouse as the business grew. What began as the “Cash & Carry” retail plumbing supplies store adjacent to warehouse space of Tom Lavin Inc operations would eventually become ‘Northern Pipe & Supply’ and would grow to 3 locations in Maine including Madawaska, Presque Isle, and Bangor.
Tom Lavin Inc. was dissolved as Tom did not want to compete with his clientele and there would be no more contracting for the team as they moved exclusively into wholesaling with design and technical support.
Sr.’s son, Tom Lavin, Jr., began to work alongside his father in the late 50s after school and would work in the business over the years in the warehouse, making deliveries, and later in sales. Eventually Tom Jr. took the reigns of Northern Pipe & Supply in the early 80s.
Later, his son Tom Lavin III ("TF") worked in the business after school and during the summer. From sweeping the warehouse to making deliveries, he eventually would be responsible for inventory control and purchasing.
In the fall, Tom III would work the the potato harvest as most students did at this time.
Beginning with picking potatoes and eventually with his truck-driving skills from Northern Pipe, he would drive a barrel truck beginning at the ripe old age of 15 and haul potatoes from the hand-picked fields to various potato houses and packing sheds.
Nearly 40 years later, Tom Lavin III has served as warehouseman, delivery driver, counter salesman, inventory control and buyer, applied products designer, Service Manager, Facility Services sales rep, Uniform Sales rep, Service rep for Cintas Corporation, Service Sales representative for Comfort Systems USA, Territory Manager for Winsupply of Portland, and is currently a territory manager for Coastal Winair in Biddeford, ME.
As a territory manager and distributor for boilers, heat pumps, furnaces, and HVAC equipment, his customers and dealers would repeatedly ask him if he knew of anybody that would clean and service heat pumps since they were extremely busy installing new systems. And with that, the idea for Beach Breeze Services was born.
Having a young daughter diagnosed with severe asthma, Tom recalls driving her in more than one northern Maine snowstorm to the hospital for nebulizer treatments and quickly learned the importance of fresh, clean, indoor air.
“In the winter our homes are typically closed up tight, and fresh outdoor air is less available. This is why we have partnered with companies like Phenomenal Aire. We are able to offer our customers a device that can be added to their existing heat pump or HVAC system. These devices are proven and lab tested to kill dander and viruses, including Covid 19. They also destroy smells and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). They essentially turn an existing heat pump system into an advanced air cleaner,” explained Lavin.
“Our goal is to make the indoor air that we breathe as healthy as the water that we drink and the food that we eat.”
Drawing from Lavin's passion for customer service, healthy, clean indoor air, and knowledge of heating, cooling, and facility services, Beach Breeze has become southern Maine’s premiere heat pump cleaning specialist.
Today, Beach Breeze serves the coast of Maine and environs with thorough, professional, factory-trained heat pump service and maintenance.
Tom currently lives in Kennebunk, ME, and enjoys outdoor activities, like jogging its beaches. He is an active member of the Scarborough Fish & Game Association, and a practicing musician and guitarist.
