Ralph McKay Buys Harvest Services

J. David Pitt, President of the McKay-Empire-Wiese Group of companies, announced that Ralph McKay Industries Inc., of Regina, Saskatchewan, is in final negotiations to purchase the assets of Harvest Services Ltd., of Craik, Saskatchewan. The deal is expected to close March 1, 2014.

Pitt said that Harvest Services — a supplier of combine harvester service parts, fits perfectly into the McKay-Empire-Wiese (MEW) Group. MEW had focused primarily on the manufacture of tillage tools, and adding harvesting parts provides a natural synergy which will strengthen the group’s offering to its distribution. MEW currently distributes tillage parts through various channels in Canada and the USA, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Australia.

“We plan to roll out the Harvest Services products sequentially throughout our network, utilizing the distribution and management strengths of all three companies in the Group,” Pitt added.

Harvest Services will continue to operate in Craik, but as a division of Ralph McKay. It will be managed by Scott Vibert, son of the current owner, Carol Vibert. The plan is to grow the Harvest Services business in Craik by increasing its distribution and customer reach.

Carol Vibert first joined Harvest Services in 1975, bought the operation in 1995 with two other partners, and has owned the company outright since 2006. She commented that, “after more than 35 years in the business, it is time for a change. The McKay-Empire-Wiese Group is a good fit for our product. I am confident that MEW with its large distribution network will grow the business and continue our strong emphasis on customer service.”

The MEW Group is owned jointly by the McLeod and Giles families, both from Regina, Saskatchewan. Ralph McKay operates out of Regina; Empire Plow out of Cleveland, OH, and Wiese Industries out of Perry, IA.

McKay-Empire-Wiese, Association member since 1980; mckayempire.com. S