2021-05-05

Buyers plan to turn MODL’s former administration building into commercial office space

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL) is waiting to finalize a deal that would see the sale of its former administration building on Aberdeen Road in Bridgewater.

MODL expects to close the sale on June 15 to a numbered company belonging to three entrepreneurs. Two of them originally hail from Lunenburg County - Cody Hebb, now president of Winnipeg-based VioRR Marketing Group Inc.; and Tyson Broome, president and co-owner of the Dartmouth-based excavation and landscape company, Ashon Atlantic Inc. The third entrepreneur, Nadeem Jan, is the founder and president of AEDOS Marketing of Halifax.

"Their plans to renovate the building and offer commercial space to lease are sure to be welcomed by the community,'" MODL Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson enthused in a recent media release.

The 50-year-old, single-story building, which was deemed too costly to renovate and bring up to accessibility codes, was listed for sale in August, 2020 for $669,000. MODL vacated the building in early November last year, once its new administration building in Cookville was completed.

The agreed sale price currently is not being disclosed."Unfortunately we can't share that until closing, so after June 15," Sarah Kucharski, MODL's communications officer, reported to LighthouseNOW in an email.

Meanwhile, Broome echoed the mayor's enthusiasm in a telephone interview with LighthouseNOW.

"Just the location of the building, the fact that there's already so much infrastructure done, and just seeing everything going on in the South Shore, in and around Bridgewater - you know there's buildings popping up all over the place. I think Bridgewater's definitely a thriving and a growing community. And for us to be a part of helping that grow is pretty cool," he said.

Broome and Hebb have been friends since playing together on local soccer and hockey teams in their youth. Broome went on to work in the engineering department for the Municipality of the District of Chester, and eventually headed out west to Alberta's oil patch. After growing tired of the lengthy commute between provinces, he returned to Nova Scotia and set up the excavation and landscape company, along with his partner, Ashley Welburn, who handles the accounts.

Hebb worked as assistant manager of Jan's company, before leaving to set up VioRR Marketing Group in Manitoba. On his LinkedIn profile on the internet, he describes himself as an "Experienced President with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and sales industry," who is skilled in research, budgeting, English, customer service and coaching.

VioRR's website indicates the company's "long-term mission is to expand our number of sales offices within Canada and the United States of America."

Whereas Jan's AEDOS Marketing, which he founded in 2012, touts itself on its website as "a solution for your business to reach sales targets through outsourced direct sales. With years of combined international door-to-door, call center, and B2B sales and marketing experience, our experts can help your business reach and expand its revenue goals."

The partners are not worried about the fact that, with the pandemic, more and more businesses have been transitioning so work can be conducted out of their employees' homes.

"People certainly are getting tired of that," commented Broome, alluding to the fact often work stations are the kitchen table with a constant flow of children and pets coming and going on the scene.

"It's just harder to get work done. And at the same time I believe employers are probably thinking the same thing.

"I'm much more productive when I'm in my office versus when I'm at my kitchen table. And I can see everyone else being that way," he added.

According to Broome, it's early days yet before any plans might be on any table as to how MODL's former administration building might be restructured or renovated.

"We'll let the market sort of drive that decision," said Broome.