About Hall Bros. Enterprises LTD.
Hall Bros. Enterprises LTD. is an authorized Kubota, Land Pride or Shindaiwa dealership serving the Norton area. We are proud to carry a large selection of new and pre-owned inventory. When you are ready to invest in your new tractor or other agricultural equipment, our friendly and knowledgeable sales, financing, service and parts departments are prepared to make sure your experience is outstanding, from assisting while you're making your choice to ongoing maintenance and customization. We value the opportunity to create a long-term relationship with our customers, and we do that by giving you the best customer service available.
This is Our Story...
Summary
In 1949 our grandfather C.W. (Ted) Hall along with his son (our father) Gordon Hall, started selling and servicing Oliver tractors and farm equipment out of his own service garage. Through the 1980s and early 1990s Gordon and Ralph Hall, the second generation, owned and operated the family business. Over the years our team has grown from two employees to over fifteen employees today! Our dad Gordon still comes in almost every morning to check up on us. Our business has been built on service by the first two generations and we continue that tradition today: since Ted sold his first piece of equipment, it has been our goal to make sure we have quality products available to our customers which are easy, safe and economical to operate and which will return you the most value for your investment.
Prologue
In 1930 Clarence Warren (C.W. or Ted) Hall moved his family to Norton New Brunswick from the family homestead in Penobsquis. He worked as an automobile mechanic for his sister's husband during the early 1930s. He was a mechanic during the summer months and then during the winter, when very few cars traveled the roads, he cut wood for farmers and shoveled snow for the railroad.
In the mid-1930s C.W. and his family moved down the Post Road (now Highway 121) to another house where he built and operated the Central Garage; from this location he serviced automobiles and sold Texaco gas. In 1939 he added another bay to the building as he felt he needed more space.
By 1948 Ted was approached by the Irvings to see if he would take over the Irving Garage from Bill London, the first operator, who no longer wished to run it. C.W. agreed and from the Irving Garage he repaired vehicles, sold Irving gas and oils and had a wrecker truck - many days and nights were spent getting cars and trucks out of snow drifts during the winter months.
Humble Beginnings
In 1949 C.W. started selling farm equipment out of the Irving Garage. He became an Oliver tractor and Gehl hay equipment dealer. He had one mechanic working alongside him by the name of Russell Robertson and by Easter of that same year, Ted's eldest son Gordon joined him to help his father and learn mechanical skills. Gordon was almost sixteen-years-old and his mind was always on the garage rather than on school work.
In 1955 Ted built a house up the Post Road about two kilometres from the Irving Garage. The following year a large Sales and Repair Shop was built right beside the home. Bud Robertson was the head carpenter on the project and they used the lumber and materials from the hospital wing Ted had purchased from the old Kings County Memorial Hospital (a new hospital was being built in Sussex New Brunswick.
Under the name C.W. Hall & Son, Ted and his son Gordon became a David Brown tractors and New Holland farm equipment dealer. Later they sold Case and Zetor tractors along with other lines of implements from Maritime Farm and Allied.
In the fall of 1965 Ted's son Ralph came home from working at Eaton's in Moncton to join his father and brother and began working in the Parts Department. They worked together for over ten years before C.W. felt it was time for him to retire.
Mr. Hall Retires
In 1977 Ted decided it was time to retire, so he sold his farm equipment business to Tom Lask. You might be thinking that he should have passed it down directly to his sons; however, Ted felt that Gordon's health wasn't strong enough for such a demanding role and Ralph did not want to run the business. Nevertheless both sons remained with the new owner.
Tom took over Hall's Farm Equipment in the spring of 1977. As the months went by, Tom was irked by how many farmers were calling and asking for Gordon for service instead of him. Tom cut Gordon down to a three-day week, probably hoping customers would learn to ask for him instead. Gordon quit working for Tom in November of 1977 because three days per week was not enough to support his family.
The Second Generation
Essentially picking right up where his father had left off, Gordon started a Farm Machinery Repair Shop from his own two-car garage on November 3, 1977. By June the next year, Gordon's eldest son Wesley graduated from the Sussex High School mechanical course and began working with his father repairing machinery. During the next two years, Wesley obtained his mechanic license. That summer Gordon became a sub dealer for Kubota tractors selling several in the first year.
At this point business was really booming. Gordon would travel from farm to farm repairing machinery with his son Russell in tow. During his younger years, Russell acted as Gordon's "gopher" - go get this and that - but as he grew up he began setting up machinery on his own. While Gordon and Russell were on the road, Wesley stayed at the home shop, Gordon Hall & Sons, repairing machinery.
During this time Gordon's wife Georgie tended the service and parts phone calls. This kept her very busy so luckily their fourteen-year-old daughter Marilyn was there to help with the meals and house chores. It was a full family effort!
In September of 1979 Gordon's brother Ralph started working with him and Wesley. Ralph had left Mr. Lask before summer that year and worked at the K.O.A. campground in Penobsquis. Ralph took over the Parts and Sales Departments. In December they became a dealer for Zetor tractors.
Because the business was growing, the brothers felt that more space was required. Gordon's two-car garage was not overly spacious. At this time they moved back down the road to the Irving Oil Service Station which their father had run years earlier.
In March 1980 they incorporated and operated under the name Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. of Norton New Brunswick. At the Irving Station they sold gas, oils and tires along with running the dealership for tractors, farm equipment and implements. By June they were a New Holland farm
Gordon's son Russell graduated high school in June of 1980 from the Sussex High School carpentry course and worked for several weeks with Arthur Humphrey. Russell felt he would enjoy being a part of the family business so he joined his father, uncle and brother and took on the role of Parts Manager.
On March 27, 1981 Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. became a full dealership for Kubota Tractors Canada Ltd. and in July they became a J. I. Case dealer as well.
Over the course of the next two years business grew quickly, so much so that the facilities were all out-grown; two more mechanics and a summer parts associate were hired and gas sales and oil checks were looked after over the next few years by Ralph's daughters Susan and Janice and son Gary along with Gordon's daughter Marilyn. Gordon's wife Georgie and Ralph's wife Shirley looked after the bookkeeping at this time.
The "Great Migration"
Farm and tractor equipment sales and service greatly increased during the 1980s so, after careful consideration, the brothers decided to build a new shop. In the fall of 1987 they were able to purchase over two acres of land on Highway 124 just across from the Irving Station.
On November 18, 1987 the first sod was turned and during the very cold winter months, Maurice and Paul Byrnes began to build a new 50X76 blue building with white trim which would be used for sales and service.
There was a large work area, two parts rooms, a showroom, three offices, a computer room and a lunch room; this was a great asset to the business and to the small Norton community.
On May 20, 1988 a Grand Opening was held with Mayor Julie Booth cutting the ribbon. All of the company representatives were in attendance as well as lots of farmers, family and friends - 500 total. At this time they introduced the Gehl farm equipment line along with their Kubota and Zetor tractors and short lines. The J. I. Case had been bought out so Hall Bros. lost the line for that reason.
Bring on the Next Generation
By 1994, after many years of hard work and service to many customers, Gordon and Ralph felt it was time to retire. So, in February of 1994 they retired. Wesley and Russell, Gordon's sons, took over as another new generation of Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. Russell's wife Judy took over the bookkeeping in 1994 as well.
The original Hall brothers have enjoyed their retirement and currently they both have fun bowling. Ralph likes doing carpentry projects while Gordon enjoys golfing and getting greasy helping the boys at the shop.
In 1999 Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. celebrated 50 years of the Hall family business which C.W. had started in 1949. They held a big Open House for this occasion.
In 2006 Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. decided to eliminate charge accounts because with a growing customer base, it was becoming too difficult. Today we accept cash, cheque, debit, and credit cards.
An Open House was held in 2009 to celebrate 60 years of service
The Renovation
In 2010 Wesley and Russell decided that once again Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. was ready for an expansion. With more salesman than offices and more service techs than shop space, something needed to be done.
The plan was to add a new, large section to the old shop along with a remodel of the existing showroom. So in the cold December weather of 2010, John Flood & Sons Ltd. from Saint John began the work and by late spring the job was completed.
The new 40X76 piece was completed in March of 2011 and the old building was renovated and completed in June; this added 3040 square feet to the original building.
On May 27th & 28th 2011 Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. held a Grand Re-Opening of their new premises; a huge crowd attended. Russell's daughter Shannon was recruited to be the voice of the radio advertisement promoting the Grand Re-Opening (click the link below to listen).
After the celebration, new siding and signs were ready to be put on the building which really improved the look of the shop.
In April of 2012 Hall Bros. Enterprises Ltd. made the difficult decision to stop being a Massey Ferguson dealer. This was a financial decision that was made to better the company. We still have some Massey parts in stock and can order them if the need arises.
Things changed again for the Hall brothers on August 31, 2018. After 40 years of hard work both turning wrenches and managing the Service Department, Wesley Hall retired. He and his wife Andrea plan to spend their retirement traveling and enjoying time with their children and 5 grandchildren. Best wishes to them in this next chapter of their life.
Contact Us
Call us at (506) 839-2442 or come by today and experience our superior service and selection! We look forward to serving you!