After mortgaging all of his assets Dick Speare started his own seed company, Speare Seeds in June 1971 in the small town of Harriston, Ontario. Speare had 20 years experience at Pritchard Seeds and Rick Elliott had only one year of experience. They moved to the other end of Town to 7000 sq. ft. building (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.

The first month was spent moving stored steel siding to the previous owner's location, then came the task of setting-up cleaning equipment and a lawn packaging line. Cleaning of that fall's red clover crop was essential as there was an export market which had to be shipped in November.

The company almost ended before it got started. On Remembrance Day, after filling the newly constructed overhead bulking bins, the supports gave way to the weight and came crashing down, smashing some of the cleaning equipment below. Luckily no one was injured, but the place was a disaster and a load of red clover still had to be shipped that day. True to Speare Seeds' continued effort towards quality and service, the red clover was loaded on the container by 3:00 am that night and delivered on time.

Since Speare Seeds was located two hours from Toronto and other major centers, it was felt that company needed their own fleet of trucks to deliver their products quickly and in good condition. Most orders depending on the distance can be delivered the same day they are received.

Speare Seeds has been active in the small town of Harriston (population approx. 2000), sponsoring all kinds of sports teams and local fund raising events. Dick Speare always believed that if you live in the community, you should support it. Speare Seeds is one of the largest employers in the town and many of the employees have worked there between 15 and 30 years, also showing the company's strong commitment to their staff.

Initially, forage seed had been the main product handled, but in the last 10 years, Speare Seeds has been one of the fastest growing companies in the turf business, supplying grass seed coast to coast. The 7000 sq. ft. office and warehouse has grown to over 44,000 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 delivers and a tractor trailer for long hauls.

Speare Seeds' roots may be from a small town but their vision is firmly set on the rest of the world.