Kent buys up Central Home Improvements

SAINT JOHN — Central Supplies, a fixture in Nova Scotia since 1976, will become part of the Kent Building Supplies group of stores on January 1, according to founder Steve Smith. Noting that the company had reached “a crossroads,” Smith said in an email that “demographics are changing and with [that] has come greater pressures to invest heavily in infrastructure and technology in order to grow and expand.” He was persuaded to sell to Kent, a division of J.D. Irving, in part because of the New Brunswick-based conglomerate’s roots and track record in the Maritimes.

Central’s seven Nova Scotia stores (which include three in Cape Breton) will be added to Kent’s existing network of 43 stores throughout Atlantic Canada. The new owner has said Central’s current employees will keep their jobs.

(More on this important story in Monday’s edition of our Weekly HARDLINES e-newsletter. If you are still not getting your own copy of HARDLINES each Monday, click here right now and I’ll send you four issues on me! —Michael McLarney, Editor)

https://hardlines.ca/wp-content/themes/hardlines-responsive