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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1972-03-23, Page 13I A r Consfritaion of new headquarters for Vincent Farm Equip- ment Ltd. was begun last fall and proceeded throughout the , fall and winter-months. The site on Huron ,county Road 12, a mile north of Seaforth, had been selected and purchased some time earlier. Located, in MoKillOp at the corner of the highway add con. 2-3, ready access is gained fronithe concession road. flit Turn fxpositor SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, MARCH. 23, 1972 Third Section, Pages la to 12a Vincents announce opening of new farm equipment complex First sod was turned in September 1971 for the new farm machinery depot erected north of Seaforth for Vincent Farm Equipment Ltd. when Marlen Vincent plowed a furrow at the site 1 1/4 miles north of town on the North Road. The farm buildings in the background are on the adjoining farm of Con. Eckert. (Staff Photo) Began with wheelbarrow Vincent farm Equipment includes three branches Vincent Farm Equipment latd.. established their Seaforth branch with the purchase of the John Bach IHC farm equipMent busin- .ess in March 1968. •• Founded' by. the late John Bach more than 30 yeari'previously the business under his direc- tion had grown-into one of the largest of its kind in the dis- trict and provided service over a:wide area. Mr. Bach died sud- denly in October 1967. Marlen 'Vincent who has been manager of the Galt branch of the firm for the preceding yeark Mr. Vincent 'said the expan- sion program had been under consideration for more than a year but. the decision to move ahead at, this 'particular time was dictated by a desire to advance the firtn slogan "better to serve you.V "We had realized for some time that we were growing beyond . the capacity Of our present accommodation'' he said and added that ,as machinery stocics grew it had become necessary to accommodate machinery in several different areas, in town: Students of Mrs. Ken Bochert who teaches room 4 in Seaforth Public School recently took, a trip to McKillop andSusanSmith, aged, 9, recalls the experience'. We went on a trip to Vincent's new fa?rm machinery building. We went by school bus, We went in twos, hit we had to go in single file to go across a narrow piece of plywood which led into, the building. There we met Mr. Vincent, the owner of the build- ing. He called the contractor Who helped him to answer some questions, Mr. Vincent asked him when' they planned to be finished. He figured it would be completed was named in charge of the Seaforth branch. Mr. and Mrs. Vincent and their family moved to Seaforth. With the addition of the Sea.;• forth outlet the Vincent firth which ranks among Ontario's largest farm equipment dealer- ships employ more than 30 people. The' Vincent organization had its beginning in the Ayr district in 1925 When it. was founded by Leslie C. Vincent, father of the present owners.* "This hasn't been satis- factory for us and didn't permit the Aervice our customers''were entitled to expects' he said. The new„building includes an area 60 by 60 feet in which are •located office facilities, •a show room and a two deck 'parts depot. The service area of the building is 60 by 84 feet. •• Contract for'the building was -awarded .Kase Van den Heuvel Construction Ltd. of Odderich. The total cost of the project was $70,000, Mr. Vincent said. in a couple of months. The building is about 60 ft.'wide and 144 ft.. long. The floor is: going to be 5 inches thick, and macie of cement. The inside walls of the large building will be lined with' insulation and covered with plastic: Then they will put on steel sheeting. There is a well 90 ft. deep, and this will be used (Continued on page 5A) . A farmer turned blacksmith's helper pushed a wheelbarrow full of farm implement parts up the main street of Ayr, Ontario, in 4925 and right. into a successful career as- an International Har- vester dealer. Today the business has ex- panded into Vincent Farm Equipment Ltd. and includes branches at Ayr,' Galt and , Seaforth. . His name was Les Vincent. He had purchased the parts from his employer, the local blacksmith, who considered the farm imple- ment businesS a relaxing sideline - secondary .,to shoeing horses. • His load of parts led to his signing an International Har-. yester contract.-.In.. three years he had sold the first No. 8 Har- vester Thresher in Ontario, and later he put the first harrow ploW to work, in the province. Business was, so good in the early years that Les Vincent was caught with a carload full of 15-30 tractors when the 1929 stock market crash lowered the boOm on general prosperity. Despite all the hardships, he managed to get rid of them and rode out 'those lean years with business intact. . Thus, good business manage- ment came naturally to his two boys, Warren and Marlen, who took over their dad's firm in 1955. Their intimate knoWledge of the farm implement 'business got them off to a good start. The firm operating in a pre- dominately 'mixed farming area was able to gauge the require- ments of a countryside with such diversified farming as ,beef, tobacco, dairy, and grain. The Seaforth branch was established in 1968 when V intents pur.chased the business of the late John Bach. Marlen Vincent • of Vincent Farm Equipment Ltd. who has worked •out details for the ceremonies in connection with the opening of the compa.nys new Seaforth headquarters on Marsh 30th. P et A new, • farm equipment complex housing _ complete display maintenance and repair facilities will be opened north of Seaforth in McKillop Township next week. Vincent Farm Equipment Ltd. who announced plans for the project last Septeiilber plan an official opening on Thursday, March-'30. Mr. R. D. Musgjerd of Hamilton, President of Inter- national Harvester Company will officiate. He will be assisted by area members of parliament and heads of neighboring munici.. panties. Plans for the opening event, 'Which gets -underway at 2:30 R.M. include pancakes for everybody and balloons. for the kids. In the evening Des Jardines Orches- tra will provide music for danc- ing.. • Marlen Vincent of Vincent • Farm Equipment Ltd. in announ- cing plans for the new linf.lding said his firm 'had purchased a 12 acre site at lot 26, con. 2 MqKillop to accommodate the one storey 60 x 144 fOot steel struc-. ture. The site is located. at the juncture of the first conces- sion road and the north , road. Entrance to the site is from • the concession he said,, The corner lot was purchas0 from Gordon Elliott. The firm has a staff of hen which it is expected will be increased. John 'Bach IHC dealership served community 30 years spS student describes visit to Vincent headquarters •