The investment firm which owns Snorkel International has a deal in the works to sell the company.

The deal would sell initially 51 percent of the Powered Access Division of Tanfeild Group, the holding group currently owning Snorkel.

See the complete proposal here.

Snorkel started as an areal lift company founded in St Joseph in the 1950’s. The sale was proposed Friday with a vote of shareholders planned for October 7th. If shareholders approve, the majority stake of Snorkel would be bought by Xtreme Manufacturing, a Nevada based company.

Snorkel had reported 2012 loses of more than $20 million. Tanfield Group agreed in a shareholders meeting in February to examine a sale of Snorkel.

Xtreme manufacturing is known for it’s rough terrain fork lifts. Don F. Ahern owns 96% of Xtreme and 97% of Ahern Rentals, one of the largest privately held equipment rental companies in the world. That company emerged from chapter 11 bankruptcy in July.

In the proposed agreement, according to the Tanfield Group, Xtreme and Snorkel would pursue the potential of sharing or combining manufacturing facilities and administration functions.