Recognized by the Canadian Farm Business Management Council as an authority on Succession Planning, Reg feels there is no better way to make a living than helping people.
For over a decade, Reg’s clients have found him through word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied farmers. Here’s what they have to say:
The best thing my wife and I ever did was use Reg to complete our succession plan. She passed away at the age of 58 in August 2016. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the best thing we ever did, but it did make the hard times easier to deal with.
Hans Haeflinger, Dairy farmer – Lacombe, Alberta
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.
Wanda L – Saskatchewan – Farmer
My brother and I took over the family farm in 1970. Our family had been on that land for 118 years. There was a lot of history and memories tied to the land but we’d known for a while that we needed to go our separate ways. Reg provided us with a steady hand to come to an equitable solution. I give Reg all the credit there.
Other consultants that I spoke with followed a set-out pattern and said this is the way you have to do things—I ended up with generic advice. Reg looks at your situation, relates to what you’re going through, and finds what works for you. It was nice to talk to someone with experience in agriculture and a banking background. He knows how to ask the right questions without a gov advisor way of doing things.
We had a family meeting—the hardest thing of the whole deal—with everyone there. Some people don’t deal with confrontation well but Reg managed the process and he reads personalities and motives real quick. Before I had to manage all the personalities, but having Reg there set me free. The kids were happier because they weren’t worried about what would happen. After that, my family got Reg to do our estate plan. Two kids don’t farm, they’re married and away—it was a process, but fair in the end. We all talk to each other and help each other out, we have a good relationship. It was a big adjustment, but we are all doing well.
Reg is not your typical consultant. He’s down to earth, easy to work with...we’ll always be friends.
Dave Rainforth, Farmer — Lacombe, Alberta
Derek, Farmer – Eckville Alberta
We heard Reg speak at a conference in Regina. We were overwhelmed and didn’t realize that the process of succession planning was so complex. Reg made it all seem easy though, each part of the puzzle came together. He has a story for everything, explaining experiences that he has handled in the past that made us feel at ease, like we were going in the right direction.
And the most important thing that Reg did was highlight how important family was!
R Hilderman, farmer – Strausbourg, Sakatchewan
We have very high standards for our consultants and Reg is the only consultant that has stood the test of time. He gets what it’s like to be a real farmer, he gets that it snows and that the auger won’t start. We let Reg loose to talk to our banker and our accountant and that was one of the best things we ever did on our farm. He speaks many languages-lawyerease, bankerease, accountantease, and farmerease – and has a story to fit every situation on the farm.
J McLeran – Farmer – Bowden, Alberta.
Olthuis Family - Barrhead, Alberta
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.
A Tribute to Cor Van Raay
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.
Kimberly Shipley, Chartered Accountant, Red Deer, Alberta
I give Reg complete credit for our family being able to remain a family unit. Without his assistance I really imagine that Craigmillar Farms Ltd and the Penman family would have become another farm family torn apart forever!
After a family member passed away our family (and our farm corporation) was overwhelmed. Like almost all families, we have an assortment of personalities and when emotions are involved we tend to be a little strong-willed. A few years prior, we had heard Reg speak at a seminar in Consort.
We contacted him and I was so impressed. He knows farming and is amazing at reading people’s personalities and frustrations. He offered us a number of options of how we could divide our corporation FAIRLY and connected us with folks to sort out all of the financial and tax requirements and implications. He taught us that working with a family is totally different than working with an estate.
There are no quick fixes but Reg delivered what I believe every family desires—fairness and solutions.
