Revved up — in spite of circumstances
Eastern Powersports offers a wide assortment of home and recreational products
AMHERST — Opening a new business can be a harrowing experience at the best of times. Doing it in the midst of a global pandemic is another story.
At a time when many businesses were shutting down, restricting its services — or going out of business — a longtime Cumberland County resident was taking a big risk by going ahead with the opening of Eastern Powersports in the former home of Carquest on South Albion Street in the Amherst
Town Square Mall parking lot.
“We were selling power equipment, the snowblowers, generators and waterpumps, at Fort Equipment for about five years. Honda agreed to let us take on the ATV and sideby-side line,” general manager Greg Brennan said. “We looked at the idea of adding on the business there, or using the warehouse across the road. We decided to branch off into a separate location.”
Brennan said it wasn’t an easy decision. Just as they were deciding to move forward with the expansion, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and it began to appear as though it might not happen.
But, he and his brother Jeff, president of Fort Equipment and Eastern Powersports, decided to move ahead and take the risk and it has paid off.
“It was nerve-wracking because we didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said. “All that being said, we opened a week later than anticipated and it has gone very well.”
Brennan said business has been very strong with five full-time employees.
Along with Honda ATVs and side-by-sides, there is a wide selection of Honda and Cub Cadet snowblowers, ride-on mowers, zero-turn mowers along with generators, water pumps, spreaders and trimmers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and spreaders from recognized names such as Honda and Shindaiwa as well as Weberlane and N&N Trailers.
He said customers are very happy in that they can get their Honda products serviced locally instead of having to travel to Moncton, New Glasgow or Prince Edward Island.
“These are quality names with quality product,” he said. “They stand behind their product.”
It also offers service and parts at its South Albion
Street location, along with continued service and parts at Fort Equipment, which earlier this year celebrated its 40th anniversary in Fort Lawrence.
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“It was nerve-wracking because we didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Greg Brennan
Eastern Powersports Ltd.