Cor Van Raay
May 30, 1936 - July 29, 2021

Assisting Cor Van Raay was one of the highlights of my career! I used to refer to him as the "Bill Gates of Canadian Agriculture."

He was a leader, innovator, visionary and an amazing man who did amazing things and he told me that this came naturally to him. 

Cor was a cattle and grain farmer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who positively impacted others. He believed in giving back to the community and attributed this to his success in work and life.

You will be missed by many. 

Rest In Peace Cor.

Reg’s method in managing my husband’s concern was nothing short of miraculous. His down-to-earth personality lead to a much better succession plan than I have been fretting over for years.

I have worked with Reg on numerous files across western Canada. He takes the most difficult transaction and mediates it with great skill, even with bankers and accountants in the room. Everyone’s opinion is heard and respected, and everyone feels like they won—Reg has taught me a lot about the importance of a skilled mediator.

Reg’s process is also very effective. He asks his clients if he can discuss their files with me, then we sit down and iron out the details before meeting with the client.

I love Reg’s drive and his passion for servicing his clients. I consider him a friend, and hope I get to continue working with him.

Our family’s raised hogs for over 70 years. We’ve known Reg for over 10. We already referred three families to him after calling him in for numerous jobs.

First we did a farm analysis. Then we wrote up our will and did an estate analysis and succession work. We looked at joining our farm with our son’s to see how viable that would be. Two years ago we amalgamated our operations and so far, so good. Through it all Reg had the tools we needed.

Reg’s background in banking is a real asset. The previous consultant did not have near the same depth of experience.

We signed up for a couple of Reg’s seminars. His workshop on Understanding Your Financials was very educational. He told us “Don’t just drop your books off at the accountants, take the time to understand your information.”We also went to Reg’s Succession planning where he laid out all the different things to consider.

People think they can wing it. A facilitator like Reg makes things simple. There are always two sides—two generations, two families, different ideas. Reg is respectful of the older generation, he gets everyone involved.

I have been attending conferences for 16 years and haven’t heard much new in the last 10 years or so… I have learnt more new concepts from Reg in two days than I have in the past 10 years!

When Reg comes to your house he sits down at your kitchen table, starts his projector, and the first thing he shows you is a picture of his family. Not a picture of himself and his corporate logo. He understands that your family is the core of your operation.

He sat down and genuinely listened, getting to know us like a gentleman and asking us what we wanted to happen. He then met with our entire family put us all together in the same room and made it all work. He knows how to handle the conversation, sometimes leading, sometimes helping us take a breather or breaking the ice with a useful story. He’s not cheap, but he’s good. He taught us that it is not always about equality in dollars and cents, but balance.

If you want it done right call the Farmacist. You will get a product that you will be happy with. If you follow Reg’s process you will get there, it helped solidify what we already had.

Reg’s expertise and due diligence in getting to a resolution for all of us was exceeded only by his true kindness and insight into the “human” side and his compassion was appreciated.

Wow! What a phenomenal investment for our Family selecting “Farmacist!”

We are using Reg for our family farm succession, business planning and crew communication. Reg has the real-life experiences and tools that keep us grounded and on track - Big Picture thinking while still managing the important small stuff! I would highly recommend Reg to any Farm Family. Owner Perry Family Farm and GrowTEC. www.perryfarm.ca

Meeting Reg was the biggest game changer for our farm – ever! He came into our lives at a critical time and we are blessed that he did – and I thank God for that!

Reg has never brought me the same plan twice. He may have the same process that he uses but his end product is uniquely structured to the specific needs of that family. He is clearly passionate about agriculture. He wants to set up the next generation to succeed and he understands what success looks like.

His mediation skills are a major asset with complicated family dynamics. He is a valuable resource, excellent at what he does without trying to be a jack of all trades. He knows what he does not know and will assemble the best team to support his clients.

When clients use Reg, things really start to happen. He looks after everyone and gets results.