Henry Nickel retires after 46 years with Clearview Co-op

After 46 years with Clearview Co-op, General Manager Henry Nickel is retiring. 

Reflecting on his time with the company, Nickel is quick to recall the tremendous growth that has happened over the years.  

“I’ve been part of all the growth that’s happened within Clearview Co-op over the last 46 years. Prior to that, I'm sure there was growth as well, but we were operating out of one location. Now we’re operating out of 21 and we’re building number 22. It brings lots of challenges and opportunities along the way. It's been an exciting ride.” 

He says it's been exciting to be part of all this growth. 

“There’s never a dull moment. Because of the growth that we’ve experienced and the opportunities that we’ve had, there’s always new and exciting things happening. And new and exciting things coming down the road.” 

While Nickel looks forward to retirement and spending more time with his family, he admits that it is difficult to walk away from the organization, especially when there are exciting plans in the works. 

“I won't stop thinking about and hearing about the business when I leave.” 

Nickel started as a truck driver for Ste. Anne Co-op and then served as General Manager for the past 15 years. The company now has over 250 employees and over 40,000 members. 

“I’m so grateful for all the employees that have been part of my journey here. I've been able to learn from each one of them and it's the employees that make me look good. So, I'm just grateful for being part of a small part of their life over the many years. And there's been many of them that have come and gone. There's many that are still around, and they've been around for a long time and they're still here. Lots of good memories that we've shared, lessons that we've learned together and I’m just grateful for all of them.” 

He officially retires at the end of this month and Martin Trudeau will take over as the new General Manager for Clearview Co-op. 

Nickel advises the new GM to listen to staff and learn from the staff team. 

Take some time before making any changes, respect your staff, and build trusting relationships, he adds.