Blueline New Holland, which specializes in farming and forestry equipment, has three dealerships in the province, including one in Lower Truro, Kentville and Lawrencetown.
“I guess it was a bit of a challenge,” said Rath, of his interest in the acquisition. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Rath is owner of the Truro Bearcats junior A hockey team and was a former partner with fellow businessman John Bragg as minority stakeholders in Halifax Cable.
Rath also once owned Eastern Cablevision in Truro before selling to Bragg’s Eastlink company in 1995.
He referred further comment to Lynn, a longtime business associate who has owned a number of companies as well as serving in top positions of several others, including as the president of Atlantic Sobeys incorporated.
“Stu Rath and I bought the majority shareholding of Blueline New Holland, so we’re partners there,” Lynn, a former CEO of Enterprise Cape Breton Corp., told the Truro Daily News. “But there is a significant minority shareholder and that’s Trevor Dillman.”
Dillman also serves as the vice-president and general manager of Blueline New Holland at the three dealerships.
“He’s an excellent man, comes off a farm and knows the industry well,” Lynn said, of Dillman, who will continue to run the day-to-day operations of the three dealerships.
Lynn said he and Rath will assume the roles formerly held by Blueline New Holland founders Eric and Jacquline Bent, who have retired.
Blueline New Holland also handles other agricultural equipment supplied by the Pottinger and Woods companies and Lynn said the partners hope to eventually grow their dealerships even more,
“We would be very grateful if we could grow the business to the point where we required further expansion,” Lynn said. “There is no further expansion of facilities contemplated at this particular point in time but that would be very nice development if we got to that point.”
Their three-year plan, however, is to realize as much growth as they can.
“We can forecast it but we have to realize it,” Lynn said, adding the acquisition was not something either he or Rath had been planning.
“We never came looking for it. It was a business opportunity that was presented to us,” he said.
“We’ll see where it ends up but we certainly went into it with not only the best intentions but we believe these is a substantial business opportunity here. But it’s going to take a number of years to obtain it.
Twitter: @tdnharry
Blueline New Holland, which specializes in farming and forestry equipment, has three dealerships in the province, including one in Lower Truro, Kentville and Lawrencetown.
“I guess it was a bit of a challenge,” said Rath, of his interest in the acquisition. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Rath is owner of the Truro Bearcats junior A hockey team and was a former partner with fellow businessman John Bragg as minority stakeholders in Halifax Cable.
Rath also once owned Eastern Cablevision in Truro before selling to Bragg’s Eastlink company in 1995.
He referred further comment to Lynn, a longtime business associate who has owned a number of companies as well as serving in top positions of several others, including as the president of Atlantic Sobeys incorporated.
“Stu Rath and I bought the majority shareholding of Blueline New Holland, so we’re partners there,” Lynn, a former CEO of Enterprise Cape Breton Corp., told the Truro Daily News. “But there is a significant minority shareholder and that’s Trevor Dillman.”
Dillman also serves as the vice-president and general manager of Blueline New Holland at the three dealerships.
“He’s an excellent man, comes off a farm and knows the industry well,” Lynn said, of Dillman, who will continue to run the day-to-day operations of the three dealerships.
Lynn said he and Rath will assume the roles formerly held by Blueline New Holland founders Eric and Jacquline Bent, who have retired.
Blueline New Holland also handles other agricultural equipment supplied by the Pottinger and Woods companies and Lynn said the partners hope to eventually grow their dealerships even more,
“We would be very grateful if we could grow the business to the point where we required further expansion,” Lynn said. “There is no further expansion of facilities contemplated at this particular point in time but that would be very nice development if we got to that point.”
Their three-year plan, however, is to realize as much growth as they can.
“We can forecast it but we have to realize it,” Lynn said, adding the acquisition was not something either he or Rath had been planning.
“We never came looking for it. It was a business opportunity that was presented to us,” he said.
“We’ll see where it ends up but we certainly went into it with not only the best intentions but we believe these is a substantial business opportunity here. But it’s going to take a number of years to obtain it.
Twitter: @tdnharry
