A Little Butterfly Flapping Its Wings in a Faraway Place: THE STORY OF A RELENTLESS ENTREPRENEUR IN UNDERGROUND ASSET MANAGEMENT UTILITIES
- Author Note: Wei Liao has known Lembit for several years, maintaining contact out of deep admiration for his innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. Upon learning of Lembit’s recent technology transfer deal to the Middle East and Africa, Wei reached out to capture his story. What follows is based on their conversation in December 2024, reflecting not just on Link Pipe’s legacy, but on the broader lessons from a lifetime dedicated to engineering innovation. The title “A Light Butterfly Flapping Its Wings in a Faraway Place” comes from a story Lembit once shared with Wei, symbolizing how small innovations can create lasting global impact.
In the world of underground asset management, few names carry the weight of Lembit Maimets, a 98-year-old man whose career spans over four decades of engineering breakthroughs, business resilience, and industry-shaping innovations. From humble beginnings as a refugee to founding a pioneering infrastructure company, Link-Pipe, LLC, his story is one of persistence, ingenuity, and an unwavering commitment to long-term solutions.
“I left Government work because I thought I had reached the end of new challenging opportunities”
The Beginning of a 44-Year Journey
Lembit recalls. With a mortgage on his house and an innovative pipe repair design in hand, he launched into business. The early years tested his resolve for the first nine years, while free from competition, he struggled with sales and market penetration. 1989 marked a turning point when Insituform’s patents expired, bringing “short liners” to the market. This competition, surprisingly, helped Link Pipe find its customer base. Facing a market of nearly 30,000 North American cities and towns, Lembit adopted what he calls a “shotgun approach” – sending letters and attending exhibitions to find potential customers.
The Early Years of an Entrepreneur
While most professionals start thinking about retirement at 54, Lembit was just getting started. In 1980, he embarked on what would become a four-decade journey in underground infrastructure innovation, all stemming from a simple yet groundbreaking idea-repairing instead of replacing pipelines. Entrepreneurship wasn’t a choice for Lembit it was in his DNA. His business acumen emerged in unlikely circumstances: as being in the displaced person camp in Germany after the war, he carved out opportunities trading Danish currency for German money. Later, after moving to Canada, he began consulting as early as his first year of engineering school. His career at the City of Toronto was marked by parallel entrepreneurial ventures. While maintaining his municipal role, he took on private consulting work, including winning a prestigious university building design competition. The project came to him after an architect rejected the proposed engineer. Lembit’s innovative design won approval, leading him to complete the entire project at his kitchen table an early sign of his resourceful approach to engineering challenges.
From Innovation to Enterprise
A pivotal moment came when a consulting company invited him to manage their automated post office projects. After completing this venture, he established his own consulting firm specializing in high-rise buildings. The true turning point arrived with an oil company’s proposal to extend their intake system. Recognizing the competitive landscape, Lembit developed an innovative solution: rather than replacement, he proposed recovering and extending the existing intake. While developing a sample, His wife noticed his prototype work and suggested patenting it – marking the beginning of Link Pipe.
However, securing a patent was only the first step. No manufacturer wanted to produce his innovative product. Instead of giving up, he began producing it himself-starting in his bedroom dresser, later expanding to rented manufacturing facilities. This period tested his resilience but also demonstrated his determination to bring innovation to market.
Breaking into the Global Market
As Link Pipe’s production grew from a bedroom dresser to a rented facility, the company caught international attention. Japanese companies recognized the potential in Lembit’s technology, initially seeking to purchase the patent outright. Instead, he negotiated a strategic licensing deal for the Japanese market, maintaining long-term control over his innovation. The following year brought bigger opportunities. Two Japanese companies, including Iseki Polytech, proposed a global joint venture. They provided capital investment while maintaining the Toronto headquarters, marking Link Pipe’s first major international expansion.
However, just as things were taking off, the Japanese economy collapsed, throwing the venture into turmoil. When Japanese representatives arrived to close the company, Lembit stood firm, declaring “over my dead body.” After three days of intense negotiations, he secured full control by agreeing to pay $56,000 over six months. This pivotal moment demonstrated both the risks and rewards of international partnerships. More importantly, it showcased that true entrepreneurship isn’t just about great ideas-it’s about navigating crises with strategic decisions. The company would continue independently until its closure in July, 2024 , leaving a lasting legacy in global infrastructure innovation.
A Commitment to Engineering Excellence
What set Lembit’s technology apart was its unmatched durability. While competitors designed 50-year solutions, his stainless steel reinforcement system was built to last 100 years. He worked with The Nickel Institute, who recommended a proven alloy dating back to 1918-the same material used in iconic structures like London’s Savoy Hotel canopy and New York’s Chrysler Building, both of which showed no degradation after 70 years.
“If I just make it a bit thicker, I can extend its lifespan by another century. Why settle for mediocrity?”
Despite this engineering breakthrough, municipal procurement officers often resisted. Many city engineers, focused on short-term budgets, responded dismissively:
“I retire in 15 years-I don’t care what happens after that.”
This short-term mindset became one of the biggest barriers to adoption, but Lembit refused to compromise on quality.
“I wanted it to have the most reliable product on the market, and it is. Small diameter Link-Pipe repairs will last at least 100 years. Large diameter ones, having thicker structural cores, can last several centuries.”
Despite creating technology that would “outlast all its present competitors,” mainstream adoption proved challenging, partly due to not having created industry standards.
Building a Business Without Investors
Over 44 years, Lembit’s company, Link Pipe, worked with over 6,000 municipalities, with 500 repeat customers. His business philosophy was unconventional-he never took on investors.
“When you take an investor, they don’t understand what you’re doing. They interfere. I wanted to be in full control.”
While this approach kept the company smaller than it could have been, it also ensured complete autonomy in technical decisions. He also prioritized his employees, fostering a loyal workforce. One of his key managers, originally from China, stayed for 35 years, helping develop crucial improvement tools.
“Though legally it was my company, I felt it was truly theirs too. They made their living here, raised families, bought homes-the company provided everything they needed.”
Industry Impact and Global Expansion
Beyond its flagship technology, Lembit secured over 100 patents, with 25 reaching full production. These innovations spanned multiple applications, from municipal pipeline rehabilitation to deep mining operations. One standout project was a gold mine in Peru, where Link Pipe’s casing system operated successfully for 15 years under extreme conditions, proving its reliability beyond urban settings.
In the U.S., however, recently local protectionist policies created roadblocks. Despite free trade agreements like NAFTA, some municipalities insisted on buying only U.S.-made products, leading to missed contracts. Recognizing the need for a new strategy, Lembit shifted focus to the Middle East and Africa, where governments valued technical expertise over bureaucracy. Today, his technology is being manufactured and implemented in Cairo, expanding its global footprint.
A Lasting Legacy and Future Industry Trends
After 44 years, Link Pipe ceased North American operations in July 2024, marking the end of an era. But Lembit’s innovations live on through global technology transfers, ensuring his impact continues for generations. Looking ahead, he believes the underground infrastructure industry is at a tipping point. Many early CIPP (Cured-in-Place Pipe) repairs are reaching their service limits, creating massive demand for durable solutions. Lembit sees significant opportunities in infrastructure renewal.
“Municipal budgets are shrinking, but infrastructure failures are accelerating. Only more durable solutions can prevent an economic crisis.”
Despite his incredible career, he acknowledges that success was a mix of skill, perseverance, and timing.
“With my current experience, I wouldn’t start again. Too much luck was involved.”
His biggest lesson for new entrepreneurs?
“If you’re an engineer, partner with a business-minded person. You need both perspectives to truly succeed.”
Looking back, Lembit acknowledges both successes and missed opportunities. “I am not the businessman, I am a technological person,” he reflects candidly. A potential partnership with Larry Christ, whom he describes as “a good businessman,” might have led to greater growth. This highlights his key lesson: successful entrepreneurship requires balancing technical excellence with business acumen.
To new entrepreneurs, particularly immigrants, Lembit emphasizes global awareness: “Keep your eyes open and your ears listening.” He stresses the importance of understanding not just economics but global politics and technological trends. His journey demonstrates that success comes not just from technical innovation but from understanding market realities and maintaining adaptability in a changing world.
On patents, Lembit offers pragmatic advice: “Patents are nice, but enforcing them in court costs so much money that in the end, you don’t know whether you win or lose.” He suggests that complex manufacturing processes requiring specific expertise offer better protection than legal documents.
Innovation in Infrastructure Monitoring
Beyond pipe repair technology, Lembit envisioned a revolutionary monitoring system for infrastructure. “I had this way of putting sensors into the pipes, into the culverts and underground pipes,” he explains. These sensors would report conditions directly to a central office, eliminating manual inspection needs. Operators could monitor infrastructure conditions in real-time, with red lights alerting them to problem areas across entire provinces.
Despite its potential to save significant costs Ontario alone has 23,000 culverts to monitor the system faced a common challenge of technological innovation: workforce displacement. “What do you do with the inspectors? They will lose their jobs,” Lembit notes. This highlighted a broader challenge in modern technological change: unlike the gradual adoption of technologies like telephones, today’s rapid digital transformation leaves little time for workforce adaptation. The monitoring system concept remains unrealized but illustrates Lembit’s continuous drive for innovation. While the technology exists – “electronic devices nowadays are products you can buy in the store” implementing such systems requires navigating complex social and organizational challenges, not just technical ones.
Transitioning to a New Chapter
As of July 31, 2024, Lembit officially left the trenchless underground business, selling his technology to his long-time customer, Byggings, in Egypt. While stepping away from an industry he helped shape, he was far from retiring.
Now, he has shifted focus to a new passion-product invention. He has already been recognized for his innovations, receiving a Platinum Medal in France’s Prix Eiffel 2024 and a Gold Medal at the WIIPA 2024 International Competition.
“I’m now in the business of developing new products in fields I find interesting. There seems to be no promise of money in it, but it’s interesting for an old fellow. Keeps the old brain doddering along.”
Even after leaving his company, his relentless curiosity and passion for invention continue to drive him forward.
A Legacy Beyond Business
Today Lembit maintains an active lifestyle with daily exercise routines – 40 minutes in the morning and 25 minutes in the evening. His home resonates with family life as his grandson, a dentist, has moved in with his family. The presence of his Chinese heritage great-grandson adds another generation to the household, bringing new energy to his post-business life. Despite retiring from Link Pipe, he remains intellectually engaged, He has dabbled in AI-driven asset management and is currently writing a book titled “You Can Also Live 200” with assistance from a university professor, exploring new frontiers while maintaining his lifelong commitment to longevity and durability.
Final Thoughts: The Unfinished Journey of an Innovator
Lembit’s story is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and business acumen. He transformed an industry, navigated economic downturns, and proved that real engineering is about solving problems, not just making profits. As global infrastructure challenges grow, perhaps one day, his 100-year pipeline technology will get the recognition it truly deserves. Until then, Lembit remains what he has always been an innovator, a problem-solver, and a visionary ahead of his time.
After I was 6, my mother, a school principal, became a single mom with two sons.
I attended a boy’s school that followed the Jesuits’ educational ideas as they were translated into Tsarist Russian education.
At 17 I was drafted from school to the army because they needed cannon fodder.
I survived and, after the war, I ended up in West Germany, where I found seven other survivors of my unit of 340.
I finished my high school last year, 1946, and entered the Mining Academy of Clauthal studying metallurgy.
I was too hungry to continue, and when the opportunity to emigrate to Canada presented itself, I took notice and arrived to emigrate to Canada; I took the option.
Coming to Canada, I was offered a contract to work as a laborer drilling rock for blasting for 10 months.
I wanted to make more money, so I worked as a carpenter on a housing project for a while. Then, I was fired for lacking tools.
Then, I went to work for a forest company to cut Ontario’s last 6-ft diameter white pines. 1949, I entered the University of Toronto to study Civil Engineering and graduated in 1956, having a family with two children.
After graduation, I started working in the Toronto Building Department, finally being in charge of the structural design of the New City Hall, which a Russian Engineer did. The architect was Finnish.
When the city hall was finished, I was offered a Director of Buildings position in a Toronto suburb. My task was to reorganize the department of a village that had turned into a city.
I used Lickert’s and Sloan’s ideas, using an open-office environment consisting of task groups with no group supervisors. This last one was my personal contribution.
In 1971, I was offered a position in charge of a new automated post office project. My design was one of three proposals required by the Works Department. Mine was accepted. Two plants were built in Toronto.
After this, I started consulting. This involved designing steel and concrete high-rise office and apartment buildings in Toronto and old-age apartments in Sault Saint Marie.
After the 1978 economic crash in Canada, the Government withdrew mortgage support, and many small consulting companies closed; so did I.
The opportunity came my way, and I was offered a job with the National Research Council, working on the Associate Committee of the National Building Code. After a year and a half on this, I started Link-Pipe. “
