Rod Cockerline started his journey in seed processing in 2001 alongside his friend Mark Metcalfe.
“Initially, we were part of Cimbria Technologies Canada for about 22 years. Eventually, in 2010, Mark and I decided to rebrand, and that’s when Nexeed came into existence,” he says.
Nexeed celebrated 30 years in 2023. Reflecting on that rebranding process during a recent interview at the SeedLink Conference in Brandon, Man., Cockerline talked about his journey and some challenges he faced in his business adventure.
“The primary hurdle was the feedback from customers. Some were concerned about potential changes, particularly fearing the loss of access to the Cimbria product line. Once they realized that everything remained essentially the same, there was relief,” he says.
“Rebranding from Cimbria to Nexeed was a significant shift, as everyone knew us as Cimbria. However, it opened up exciting opportunities for us. We expanded our offerings to include more food processing equipment from different vendors and secured non-exclusive contracts that allowed us to sell various products, all packaged under the Nexeed brand.”
In the realm of food processing, they have formed a partnership with Germany’s Schule, and with Sweden’s BoMill on the milling side. This collaboration presented new opportunities for seed processors, offering a unique package for a comprehensive processing solution.
Looking ahead to 2024, some exciting developments are on the horizon for Nexeed. Watch our interview for more.
