boston dec 12 reuters  dollar tree dltro said on sunday it offered to explore a settlement with mantle ridge and hand a board seat to a former chief executive of a rival retailer saying the activist investment firms decision to seek control of its board is unwarrantedly aggressive dollar tree is reacting publicly to mantle ridges decision late on friday to nominate 11 directors and replace the entire board as well as push the company to hire richard dreiling a former ceo of dollar general corp dgn the company said it reached out to the investment firm which owns 57 of its common stock with suggestions on how to overhaul the board it was ready to add dreiling as a board member and possibly also as a consultant mantle ridge would also have been given a say in selecting another board member dollar tree said but mantle ridge failed to respond to the suggestions the company said noting it never heard back from mantle ridge until it received the letter nominating its slate to replace the entire board