After more than 35 years in the combine parts business, Carol Vibert has announced that Regina’s Ralph McKay Industries is in final negations to purchase the assets of her company, Harvest Services of Craik, with the deal expected to close March 1.

Vibert said her son Scott Vibert will stay on with the company as general manager and all operations of Harvest Services will continue in Craik, but as a division of Ralph McKay. She said all employees at the plant have been asked to stay on and the hope is Ralph McKay would attract new employees as well.

“Their intention is to keep that plant going,” said Vibert, noting Harvest Services manufactures and distributes combine parts across Canada, the United States and France. “This was excellent for them to have a manufacturing facility (plus) allowing them to diversify.”

Ralph McKay Industries is a member of the McKay-Empire-Wiese (MEW) group of companies. MEW has focused primarily on the manufacture of tillage tools and currently distributes tillage parts through various channels in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.

MEW president J. David Pitt stated in a Jan. 27 press release that adding harvesting parts provides a natural synergy that would strengthen the Group’s offering to its distribution. He further added MEW plans to roll out the Harvest Services products sequentially throughout their network utilizing the distribution and management strengths of all three companies in the Group.

Vibert first joined Harvest Services in 1975 and bought the operation in 1995 with two other partners. She has owned the company outright since 2006.

“Certainly I’m going to miss it, but the connection is still there with Scott being involved,” said Vibert, adding before the sale she had lengthy discussions with her son about the direction of the company and both felt this was the best move. “I’ve got another avenue that I’m devoting my energies to. I have three (vacation) houses down here in Florida that I rent out and look after. There wasn’t room for two businesses in my life.”