AUBURN — Auburn-based Safe Handling is being sold to a Utah company.

Founded about 20 years ago, Safe Handling transports and warehouses bulk products, handling a billion pounds of products every year and operating the largest rail-to-truck transloading facility in New England and western Pennsylvania, according to its Web site. It also makes products, mostly for the paper industry.

The company will be sold to Salt Lake City-based Savage Services Corp., which owns and operates large bulk terminals for coal and other commodities and
transports more than 140 million tons of material every year. It also
provides on-site operations and management services for large power
plants and oil refineries. Although Savage has more than 140 operations in 35 states and five Canadian provinces, this will be its first foray into Maine.

_{Ford Reiche, president and co-founder of Safe Handling, said he had been approached "over and over, year after year" to sell the business. He chose to sell now to Savage, he said, because he believes the larger company can take Safe Handling further than he can.}

_{"This was the company that was just the perfect match in every respect," he said. "They did their homework on Safe Handling and we did our homework on Savage. I've talked to every company which they have purchased over the years and they have distinguished themselves as being committed to growth, committed to the staff that they acquire. And that really was very important to me."}

_{Safe Handling employs 100 people at its facilities in Auburn and Pennsylvania. All are expected to keep their jobs under Savage's ownership.}

_{The sale is slated to close Nov. 30. After that, Safe Handling will be renamed Savage Safe Handling, and Savage Vice President Bradley Crist will move to Auburn to serve as general manager of the business.}  

Reiche, who was named 2008 Large Company Business Leader of the Year by MaineBiz magazine, will leave Safe Handling to pursue renewable energy projects in the area.

Reiche declined to disclose Safe Handling's purchase price.  

ltice@sunjournal.com