AUSTRALIA’S largest agricultural machinery business Header World at Corowa has closed.
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The decision by its parent company, Australian Capital Equity group, leaves a hole in the agriculture industry after the business supplied headers and spare parts to farmers across the country.
Header World closed its doors in December after winding down its operations over several months.
Caterpillar dealer WesTrac, also owned by the Group, has based its used parts business at the premises.
Header World was founded by the late Neil McDonald in 1986.
The business was Australia’s largest dealer of second-hand headers, spare parts and accessories.
It sold more than 170 used headers, dismantled a further 50 per year and employed up to 27 people in its heyday.
Header World exported headers and spare parts to New Guinea, throughout Asia, New Zealand and Africa while also importing parts from all over the world.
Because of its extensive range of headers and parts, the business drew people from all over Australia.
Corowa Mayor Cr Gary Poidevin said the closure was sad.
“It was an attraction to the town with people from all over the place coming to get header parts,” he said.
“It’s disappointing that this has happened but it’s a sign of the times.
“Farmers not having headers and getting contractors in has meant the business has slowly worked itself down to not being viable.”
It is believed five employees were made redundant in December.
“The loss of any jobs has an impact on Corowa but I don’t know how many have been relocated and I’ve been told a number of people have had the opportunity to be relocated,” Cr Poidevin said.
Widow of Mr McDonald, Kathy, said it was a great loss for the agriculture industry.
“It was the only one in Australia that did that sort of thing,” she said.
Mr McDonald worked for Alfarm Industries in Albury and was a partner in Neil’s Parts at Corowa before he founded Header World.
Lynton Johnson, owner of the Case IH dealership in Corowa, said the closure was a shame.
“When Neil started it off he put his heart and soul into it,” he said.
Rutherglen’s Alan Lawler had a contract with Header World to transport headers across the country.
Mr Lawler said he knew the business would suffer when Mr McDonald died in 2000.
“I knew it would go backwards, the new owners didn’t seem to push it like Neil did,” he said.
Seven Network media boss Kerry Stokes’ company Australian Capital Equity bought Header World about 12 months after Mr McDonald’s death.
An auction will be held in February and employees are preparing the site for the sale.