From the ashes
Green Diamond Equipment rebuilding nine months after dealership burned
Green Diamond Equipment Ltd. will soon start rebuilding its John Deere dealership in Sherbrooke, just outside Summerside.
The company plans to rebuild on the same property where its previous sales and service centre burned to the ground on Aug. 26, 2016, at 15 Locke Shore Road.
A company spokeswoman said Monday that it has retained Lindsay Construction, based in Halifax, N.S., as the primary contractor on the project. Tenders are now being prepared for local sub-contractors to bid on. Construction is expected to start before the end of June and work should be complete sometime in early 2019. A grand opening is likely that spring or summer.
Jeff Wood, store manager, said Monday that he’s asked at least once or twice a day what the company’s plans are in terms of rebuilding, so it’s nice to be able to share that information now.
He and his staff have been well served by their temporary location in Slemon Park, he said, but it will be nice to get back into a custom built space again, especially one that is as
visible in a high-traffic area as their original location.
“We’re really looking forward to getting into the new facility,” said Wood.
“Where we’re at now is adequate. We have enough space
to do what we need to do, but we’re not in a prime location anymore. We’re a little bit out of the way. We’re not getting the drop-in traffic for sure.” Some details of the new dealership are still being worked
out, but the spokeswoman did say that the new building will be noticeably larger than the previous one. The previous facility had a footprint of 24,000 square feet while the new one will be 35,000 square feet.
Since the fire, Green Diamond Equipment has been operating out of a temporary location at 40 Aerospace Blvd, in Slemon Park.
During its peak, the business employs an average of 30 people.