Solick Seeds Ltd. Selected Canterra Seeds' Shareholder Award
From Canterra Seeds News www.canterraseeds.com
A cornerstone of CANTERRA SEEDS’ success is the strong partnerships on which we rely. These include the seed grower and retailer shareholders who support our products and represent our company in their local markets. Each year CANTERRA SEEDS grants the Shareholder Award of Distinction to a partner that supports sales while actively promoting and engaging in our business. In 2015, we are pleased to honour and recognize the Solick Family of Solick Seeds Ltd. of Halkirk, AB.
Len and Lucy Solick are no strangers to the pedigreed seed industry. In 2016, they will celebrate their 30th anniversary in the business and it truly is a family business. Today, along with their sons, Kelsey and Corwin, they seed around 5,000 acres of which 4,400 acres is in pedigreed seed production. What land isn’t growing pedigreed seed is growing commercial canola. Meanwhile, daughter Kim is on the front lines during their customer appreciation day and keeps communication lines open with the federal and provincial research groups in Lacombe, AB.
Solick Seeds Ltd. became CANTERRA SEEDS shareholders in 2008. Len says they were attracted to becoming a shareholder by the whole product portfolio that CANTERRA SEEDS represented. “The varieties were ones that fit my customer base and what they needed. My customers drive my business and we do our best to fulfill what they require,” he explains. “The varieties and the pipeline have a great fit for our area and CANTERRA is successful because of the tremendous varieties it has in the market.”
In less than a decade, Solick Seeds Ltd. has made the CANTERRA SEEDS “Top 10” list for pedigreed seed sales for Western Canada. The family is dedicated to their business and is always eager to try new varieties. They are proud advocates of Canmore and Bentley barley as well as newly licenced spring wheat varieties. Len is in regular contact with AAFC forage researchers and industry associations such as the Alberta Barley Commission to see what he can do to help with market development often providing samples for further testing or research.
Len is a solutions-oriented and “above and beyond” kind of guy. You know if you ask, he will deliver. In 2015, during an extremely busy spring season, the Solicks made time to treat and mini-bulk three barley varieties for grower-scale trials in two locations. Keep in mind, this is when Solicks were busy seeding their own farm while semi-trucks were flying in and out of their yard as their grower-customers picked up seed. “We built our business one customer at a time and we look to meet their unique requests with good advice,” adds Len.
Not only is Solicks Seeds Ltd. a strong supporter of CANTERRA SEEDS cereal varieties, they also sell CANTERRA SEEDS canola varieties. “We started growing CANTERRA SEEDS canola before we became shareholders,” says Len. “It was a natural evolution to start selling them and today the varieties are some of the best in the market.” As a result, Solick Seeds was the number two canola retailer for CANTERRA SEEDS in the Central Alberta territory in 2015.
The Solick family sees mutual benefit in the partnership and relationship with the CANTERRA SEEDS team. “The company has so much to offer with its’ leadership, people and new varieties that I anticipate great growth in the next three to four years,” he concludes.
And we look forward to your continued support! Please join everyone at CANTERRA SEEDS in congratulating Solick Seeds Ltd. of Halkirk, AB, as the recipient of the 2015 Shareholder Award of Distinction.
Len Solick (L) of Solick Seeds Ltd receives the 2015 Shareholder Award of Distinction from David Hansen (R), President & CEO, CANTERRA SEEDS at the 2015 Alberta Stakeholder Meeting in Red Deer, Thursday, November 12, 2015.