The owners of Entreprises Shippagan Ltd, Gilles and Marc André Robichaud, are very pleased to announce that they have purchased the shares of Vernon d'Eon Lobster Plugs Ltd, whose head office is located in West Pubnico, Nova Scotia.
Entreprises Shippagan Ltd, located in Shippagan, New Brunswick, was founded in 1977 as a supplier to local fishermen. This family owned business has since established itself as one of the major wholesale distributors to the commercial fishing, aquaculture and marine industries in Canada and the United States.
Vernon d'Eon Lobster Plugs Ltd, also a family owned business, was started by Mr. Vernon d'Eon in 1975. They are a retailer and wholesaler of commercial fishing gear. Originally a manufacturer of lobster plugs, this company has diversified and expanded over the years and it now operates seven stores in Nova Scotia and one in Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia stores are located in West Pubnico, Barrington, Cape Island, North Sydney, Pictou, Shelburne and Yarmouth. The Prince Edward Island store is located in Souris.
Mr. d'Eon is proud of his employees and their accomplishments, and most of all, he values the support and loyalty of his customers. Having reached a time in his life where he would like to slow down, he started looking for potential buyers. His wish was to find someone with the same business philosophy as him and someone who would continue to operate his stores and employ the forty individuals presently working for him. He also wanted to make sure his customers would be looked after and continue to receive the service they have come to expect.
Mr. d'Eon approached the team of father and son, Gilles and Marc André Robichaud. Having met them on numerous occasions and dealt with them for many years, he has come to respect their way of doing business and recognized the similarities between both companies. Several discussions followed and all parties concluded that the joining of the two companies would be a natural fit. The closing date for the transaction was October 31, 2013.
Entreprises Shippagan Ltd will continue to operate as a wholesaler and Vernon d'Eon Lobster Plugs Ltd as a retailer and wholesaler. It is the new owners' intent that Vernon d'Eon Lobster Plugs Ltd's management team, employees and locations remain the same. The two corporations' head offices will stay at their present locations. Customers will be invited to continue doing business as usual with the same terms and conditions they are accustomed to. The company's name will be the only visible change. It will be modified slightly to reflect the current nature of the business. It will hence be known as Vernon d'Eon Fishing Supplies Ltd.
Gilles and Marc André Robichaud are pleased to welcome Vernon d'Eon Lobster Plugs Ltd's employees and customers into their group of companies. They appreciate Mr. Vernon d'Eon and his employees' hard work and determination and the success they have achieved. They are honored to have been entrusted with Mr. d'Eon's legacy and the opportunity to extend his company's longevity.
The Robichaud group of companies also includes International Seafood and Bait Ltd, who is one of the largest exporter of snow crab and herring roe in Canada, Sea-Alex Inc, a manufacturer of plastic buoys and other fishing and aquaculture related products, and an ACE retail hardware store. The aforementioned companies are all located in Shippagan, New Brunswick, Canada.
