Taking A Chance On Themselves, The McNichol’s Built A Cutting Edge Aquaculture Enterprise With A Personal Touch
NANOOSE BAY – Launching a new business in a packed market after having added a third member to your family might seem counterintuitive, but Kris and Sheryl McNichol aren’t your typical entrepreneurs.
(From left to right) Tyra, Emma, Sheryl, Kris and Syvanna McNichol. Kris and Sheryl’s daughters have each contributed to CPI in their own unique way over the years
That’s precisely what the McNichols did in 2001 after the birth of their third daughter, creating CPI Equipment Inc. to serve a multitude of needs in the aquaculture industry in Canada, and across the globe. From supplying and installing aeration/plankton equipment, ensilage systems, water treatment, central pumping, mort retrieval, HDPE, net cleaning and more, CPI packs a full-service experience into what is, definitionally, a true family business.
When the couple began their journey as CPI, they understood risk was a major part of the equation.
“Starting a small company in a competitive market, you need cash to survive. You take calculated risks in almost everything you do,” explains Sheryl, who wears a number of hats as office manager, bookkeeper, and marketer. “Sales and marketing are tough, as there is only so much time in a day. Marketing products produced as a smaller company; it can be difficult to earn the trust of new customers. Larger companies have entire departments for this, but we do it on our own. Add to that the pressures of raising a family, it’s a lot resting on your shoulders.”
CPI employee Mitch Novak inspects a fish farm. CPI provides the anti-static feed pipes going to each fish pen
What they lack in size, they’ve made up for in expertise.
Kris brings over twenty-five years of experience in aquaculture to the table, from strategic business management, technical sales, product development, product launch, and life-cycle project management, including leading project execution teams in Canada, the United States, Chile, the UK, and Norway.
“Prior to launching CPI, I was a key accounts manager for BCG Services, and specialized in a number of industries, from industrial, municipal, agricultural, and aquaculture,” adds Kris.
In addition to his role as President of CPI, Kris operates as a Special Advisor to Hydro Pacific Pumps Inc. in Surrey, which provides downhole pump solutions in the oil and gas industry.
The third generation ODiN Aerator manual system can be operated remotely anywhere in the world via the cloud, controlling individual aeration pods on fish farms
Sheryl, whose marketing and business expertise come courtesy of Sales/Business and Marketing studies at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, has accomplished much both professionally and personally since their arrival on the Island in 1994 to start a family. In addition to keeping the ship sailing smoothly on the admin and marketing end, she and Kris can take some credit for their three daughter’s various contributions to CPI. Their influence and work ethic most certainly rubbed off on the next generation of McNichols.
Syvanna, studying biomedical engineering at UVic, established a co-op with CPI, and helped them with grant applications. Emma, a nurse focusing on a career in women’s health, created marketing videos for trade shows CPI have attended in Norway. Finally, Tyra has worked side-by-side with her parents for almost six years, supporting the company in a variety of endeavors.
CPI’s growth in the aquaculture market has not only been due to the combined expertise of its owners, but a customized approach to their customers, intelligently timed pivots in business focus, and a knack for collaborating with the right people.
On their customer relationships, Kris elaborates, “Most of our equipment is designed locally by our own professional engineer/design and machine team. With years of expertise, our own machine shop, and 24/7 communication we are proud to supply our customers with superior products and custom designs. We have engineers, machinists, welders, pump specialists, designers and more on our staff or contracted. We believe the personal attention we can give our clients sets us apart from our industry peers.”
A CPI air receiver tank, which helps filter oil and other waste that would otherwise interact with the farmed fish
Since 2001, CPI has grown and branched out. From a humble shop the size of a two-bay garage in Parksville, to an 8,000 square foot location on 2.5 acres of land in Nanoose Bay, the ten member strong team can handle manufacturing, fabrication and engineering in-house.
As they’ve expanded, so too have their ambitions and partnerships. In 2015 CPI chose to re-focus their work toward life support and extraction specializations, while in 2016 they launched their first generation ODiN Aerator manual system, developing custom ensilage systems for hatcheries the same year. They also began working with Lift UP, headquartered out of Eikelandsosen, Norway, specializing in mort (dead fish) removal to supply mort retrieval systems in Canada. Since then, they’ve launched two new generations of ODiN systems, as well as partnering with Denmark’s Landia to install the first bio cop ensilage systems along Canada’s West Coast.
Contributes Sheryl, “This year, we signed a deal with Moleaer out of Torrance, California to utilize their Nano bubble oxygen generators for aquaculture, and signed on Norway’s TESS Technical Trade as distributor for the ODiN Aeration systems and Nano bubble oxygen systems.”
With aquaculture being one of the biggest economic drivers across Vancouver Island, CPI is at the forefront of a movement to optimize every step of the process, while protecting the delicate environment these sites inhabit. Clean water, healthy stock, reduced maintenance and larger harvests are a critical part of CPI’s mission. Kris and Sheryl plan to meet, innovate and exceed those goals in the years to come.
https://www.cpiequipmentinc.com
