Proudly Canadian Owned and Operated
Based in Harriston, Ontario, we take pride in our Canadian heritage and our over 50 year history of serving customers across Canada.
❖ Our History
In June 1971, after mortgaging all his assets, Dick Speare established Speare Seeds in the small town of Harriston, Ontario. With his young employee, Rick Elliott by his side, they set out to make their mark in the seed world. Speare had 20 years of experience at Pritchard Seeds and Rick Elliott had only one year of experience. They moved the business from the downtown area to a 7,000 sq. ft. building which was formerly an old stove foundry. Their only equipment was a telephone to contact the customers, shovels to mix the seed on the cement floors and a pick-up truck to deliver the orders. Whenever the telephone rang, the carpenters who were building the offices would have to stop while either Dick or Rick talked to their customers.
❖ Proudly Canadian
Initially, forage seed was the main product to be offered. Over the years, many more seed varieties and products have been added to our business. Cover crop seed, turf seed, inoculants, mulch and fertilizer to name a few.
We source as many products as we can through our valued Canadian growers and suppliers. Our strong relationships with producers and suppliers in Canada and around the world enable us to provide innovative products for the demands of today's diverse agricultural and farming needs and the ever-evolving turf industry.
Speare Seeds has been one of the fastest growing Canadian companies in the turf business, supplying grass seed coast to coast. Many investments have been made over the years to grow with and meet the needs of our customers. The 7000 sq. ft. office and warehouse has grown to over 75,000 sq. ft. utilizing modern and efficient equipment. The first pick-up truck has expanded to a fleet of small and medium sized trucks for local deliveries and a tractor trailer for long hauls.
❖ Tradition Continues
Rick Elliott and Bob Dippel became partners in the business with Rick focusing on purchasing and Bob heading up sales. Dick Speare passed away in December 2003 and Bob retired in 2011. Additional members of the Elliott family have joined the team over the years. Speare Seeds is proud to be 100% family-owned, continuing with the same values and traditions as Dick founded the company with in 1971.
Speare Seeds Limited is committed to providing quality products to our customers and we aim to deliver solutions that surpass our customers’ needs.
Speare Seeds’ roots may be from a small Canadian town, but our vision is firmly set on the rest of the world.
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