By Bruce Erskine / Business Reporter

Thursday Mar 24th 2005 (Halifax)

Firm moves toward top

It hasn't been officially launched yet, but Premiere Van Lines is already Canada's second-largest moving company, says Tim Moore, who will take over as president of the new firm effective April 1.

"I am stunned, absolutely," the Nova Scotia native said in an interview from Mississauga, Ont., on Wednesday.

Mr. Moore, who heads up Premiere Executive Suites, bought Canada's largest moving company, AMJ Campbell Van Lines, in 1977 and built it into a business that generated revenues of more than $125 million annually in the late 1990s.

In 2000, he stepped down as president of AMJ and signed a five-year management contract. He was fired in 2002 after a dispute with company CEO Bruce Bowser, which prompted Mr. Moore to launch a recently settled $1.2-million wrongful dismissal suit, terms of which were not disclosed.

Earlier this year, Mr. Bowser disputed claims that Mr. Moore's new moving company had attracted as many as 17 AMJ franchisees, which prompted Premiere to release a list of AMJ Campbell franchisees joining the new firm.

Mr. Moore said Wednesday that his new firm, which is affiliated with Atlas Van Lines in the U.S., has 28 or 29 branches across Canada and is doing $45 million to $50 million in business.

"This is huge news in the moving business," he said, estimating that the firm will generate revenues of $75 million to $100 million in two years.

Mr. Moore plans to hold a grand opening for the new business at the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel in Halifax on April 7 and said he would like to see the firm's headquarters move to the city within a year.

"I'm based in Halifax," he said, noting that Halifax is home to his growing executive suite business, which operates a total of 450 units, including 145 suites in Halifax.

He is negotiating to open Premiere Van Lines offices in Vancouver and Montreal.

Mr. Bowser could not be reached for comment.

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