C&M Seeds was started in 1978. We installed what we needed, and it served us well — for nearly five decades. But 47 years is a long time for any machine, and the cracks started to show. The company that made our cleaner had shut down, so every time a part broke, we had to custom manufacture it. It became clear: we were running out of runway.
Upgrading a seed cleaning plant isn’t something you rush. It’s expensive, disruptive, and full of moving parts — literally. But waiting was no longer an option.
What surprised me most is that seed cleaning itself hasn’t changed much. The basics still hold. But the small innovations? They add up.
We’re a winter wheat operation, which means tight turnaround. Harvest in July, replant by mid-September. We were already outsourcing cleaning just to keep up. So speed was a major driver. But it wasn’t the only one. We wanted to reduce late nights and create a better working environment for our team.
I first met Rod Cockerline from Nexeed at a trade show, and knew Ontario Territory Manager Chris Yungblut from industry circles as well. We didn’t leap into anything, but we kept talking. When the timing was right, we worked closely with them — and our own automation specialist — to overhaul our setup. Out went our old pre-cleaner and two gravity tables. In came a tighter, faster system with a Cimbria pre-cleaner and gravity table.
The pre-cleaner has a secondary air system — basically a mini gravity table built in. I was skeptical. Now I’m a believer. It pulls out debris earlier, so the main gravity table has less work to do — and we get a cleaner product, faster.
The whole system now fits on one level, making it easier to monitor, clean, and maintain. We built in smart automation so even someone new can run it with confidence. And the noise? Way down. We didn’t expect that, but it’s made the plant a much more pleasant place to work.
Yes, there was a shipping delay with one of the components, but Nexeed helped us plan around it. Once the new system was in, we caught up fast.
In the end, we didn’t just upgrade equipment. We upgraded the way we work. And when your people win, your whole business wins.
