Back in 1968, Shur-Gro Farm Services began in Brandon, Manitoba. Forty years later, in 2008, the future Niverville and Dugald branches of Shur-Gro started life as their own company, called South East Seeds, started by Jeromy Rempel. They began by selling corn, soybeans, and sunflowers.
In the fall of 2017, though, Shur-Gro bought a piece of South East Seeds and built a crop protection warehouse and fertilizer plant, turning the operation into a full-service agriculture retailer.
And it was around this time that Corey Blad was asked to join the Shur-Gro Niverville team.
“Jeromy needed a full-time agronomist to help run the yard, and I was just graduating from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture,” says Blad about that period of transition. “I started in the spring of 2018 as a sales agronomist and have since transitioned into managing both Dugald and Niverville locations.”
Blad says that he stands proudly behind the company’s mission to offer the high-quality agricultural products expected of a full-service retailer, as well as expert agronomy advice.
Another important component of Shur-Gro Niverville’s success may be due to their team of close-knit, homegrown employees.
“We have seven amazing staff working for us,” Blad says. “They’re all passionate about agriculture and doing the best job servicing farms in southeastern Manitoba.”
Blad is married to Dr. Erica Blad, one of the doctors at Open Health Niverville. The pair live in the country and enjoy traveling and gardening.
Another member of the team, Lehanne Parker, started at the same time as Blad and now runs the Shur-Gro office. Her family lives in Ste. Agathe, where they operate a grain farm.
Abe Rempel, Jeromy Rempel’s father, began working at Shur-Gro in 2019 and is in charge of making sure the yard is in good shape and the operation runs smoothly.
Continuing the family affair is Abe’s wife Wendy, who keeps the lunch room stocked with homemade sweet treats.
Luc Vermette just started with Shur-Gro. He and his family live in Ste Agathe and he has been involved in the agriculture retail field for 25 years.
“We are very excited to have [Vermette] start working for us,” says Blad. “It’s been great having someone who has so much experience.”
Zach Enns is the assistant manager of Shur-Gro Niverville and has worked at the company since 2019. Enns, his wife, and two daughters live in Sarto. Blad calls Enns a true “people person.”
Justin Brezden joined the Niverville team in the spring of 2024. Although he lives in Winnipeg and is new to agriculture, he says he has really enjoyed getting outside the city and getting to work in the great outdoors.
As for Shur-Gro’s founder, Jeromy Rempel lives with his family just outside Niverville. He says that he truly enjoys the people and the farms he works with. He and his family spend a lot of time at the lake fishing.
