New adventures ahead for Freshwater Motor-plex

The family-run St. John’s business has rebranded, expanded

After nearly 40 years in business, the Kinsella family-run Freshwater Suzuki in St. John’s has officially rebranded as Freshwater Motorplex.

General manager Rob Kinsella says the name change reflects their transition to carrying Polaris ATVS, side-by-sides and snowmobiles along with the Suzuki motorcycles, ATVS and outboard motors they’ve been selling since 2013.

“The reaction has been overwhelming — all positive,” says Kinsella. “We’ve been amazed by how many of our long-time Suzuki vehicle customers also own Polaris snowmobiles and/or side-by-sides — models that Suzuki doesn’t offer under its current lineup. They’re coming in saying ‘This is great! Now you can be my one-stop shop!’”

Kinsella says they’ve been known as Freshwater Suzuki since 1991 so it’s been tricky at times for everyone to stop using the name the business held for almost 30 years. Of course, now that they’re carrying products from several different brands, he says it was important to rebrand slightly so people knew they were now carrying more than just Suzuki products.

They had to keep the name “Freshwater,” since that’s been a part of their brand since Day 1. Kinsella’s father, Bob, founded the business in 1982 as Freshwater Auto Centre Ltd. They repaired all makes and models of vehicles, and that was the extent of the business for its first nine years.

In 1987, Kinsella branched off into a second location with a focus on selling and servicing used vehicles. Then in 1991, they took on the Suzuki brand. Freshwater Suzuki was dedicated to selling new and used Suzuki automobiles, while Freshwater Auto remained focused on auto repair for all makes and models.

Twenty-two years into their venture, Freshwater Suzuki pivoted from selling Suzuki automobiles to selling Suzuki’s full line of power sport vehicles and marine — everything from motorcycles and ATVS to outboard motors. It was a perfect fit with Newfoundland’s outdoors-loving clientele, Kinsella says they “ran with it.”

“We have a lot of rural areas around here — cabin areas, trails. etc. Plenty of areas for ATV and UTV activities,” says Kinsella. “There’s a huge market for ATVS for people who hunt, fish and just want to enjoy the outdoors.”

Now their brand has expanded to make room for Polaris off-road vehicles and snowmobiles, they couldn’t continue being known only as a Suzuki dealership. Kinsella says rebranding as Freshwater Motor-plex has been “exciting” for staff and customers alike.

“There’s very little overlap between the Polaris & Suzuki product lines, so we’re now able to offer our customers a much wider selection of products,” says Kinsella. “With Suzuki, we cover motorcycles, ATVS and outboard motors. With Polaris, we cover ATVS, side-by-sides and snowmobiles.”

Kinsella says they’re already stocking Polaris vehicles and they’re in the final stages of construction of a new state of the art 4,000 sq. ft. Polaris dedicated showroom that’s scheduled to open in December. He promises customers are going to be amazed by the new space, adding that “the retail experience will be second to none.”

Freshwater Motor-plex is now a one-stop shop for sales, parts and services for all Suzuki and Polaris vehicles.

It’s an extremely busy time at the St. John’s dealership, and Kinsella says news of the rebrand has travelled fast, bringing in more customers who are eager to check out the new merchandise.

While the name has changed slightly, Kinsella says nothing’s changed about Freshwater’s dedication to its customers. He says the Freshwater team has always prided itself on having outstanding customer service — and has even won national awards from Suzuki for being so dedicated to their customers.

“We’re a family-run business and we like to treat everybody that comes through the doors as family too,” adds his brother, Paul Kinsella. “Customer loyalty and retention have always been a huge part of our business, and our Polaris customers can expect the same.”

Freshwater Motor-plex has been a thriving family-owned business for nearly 40 years now, and the Kinsella family believe that gives them an edge when it comes to understanding true customer service.

“We believe in treating our customers right and building a long-term relationship with them,” says Rob Kinsella. “We do that by making sure to exceed their expectations, every time — always going the extra mile for them, because we wouldn’t be here without them.”