Wilbur-Ellis, San Francisco, on Nov. 20 announced the acquisition of Nachurs Alpine Solutions® (NAS), Marion, Ohio, a specialty liquid chemical manufacturer serving the precision agriculture, transportation, energy, and diversified industrial sectors in North America.
NAS, founded in 1946 and a pioneer in low-salt, liquid starter fertilizer, will be led by its current President and CEO Jeff Barnes, who will report to Wilbur-Ellis President and CEO John Buckley. NAS will operate as a new business division of Wilbur-Ellis, alongside the company’s other core businesses – Agribusiness, Nutrition, and Connell. NAS’s products will continue to be sold under its signature brands, including Nachurs® and Alpine® liquid fertilizers in the U.S. and Canada, and Nachurs Alpine Solutions Industrial (NASi®) products in the transportation, mining, energy, and industrial chemicals markets.
NAS’ brands are supported by more than 200 employees, seven manufacturing plants, and 85-plus distribution terminals in the U.S. and Canada. The seven NAS plants are located in Garretson, S.D., Marion, Ohio, Corydon, Ind., Red Oak, Iowa, St. Gabriel, La., New Hamburg, Ont., and Belle Plaine, Sask. NAS bought the Garretson plant from Koch Fertilizer LLC, Wichita, late last year (GM Nov. 30, 2018).
“NAS is a great strategic fit for Wilbur-Ellis,” said Wilbur-Ellis’s Buckley. “It supports our One Wilbur-Ellis strategy, which promotes collaboration and leveraging our resources, experiences, and knowledge across our businesses to add value and better serve customers.”
He said NAS is an industry leader in precision agriculture and has built strong brands and long-term relationships with customers and suppliers, which creates value and supports Wilbur-Ellis’ Agribusiness division, also a leader in precision agriculture technology and the distribution and marketing of crop protection, seed, and nutritional products.
The acquisition also allows Wilbur-Ellis to enter new markets and expand its specialty chemicals presence in North America. NAS’s de-icing and freeze prevention products are new for Wilbur-Ellis, while NAS’s involvement in the energy industry fits with Wilbur-Ellis’s role as a provider of specialty materials for oil and natural gas applications.
These products are sold through Wilbur-Ellis’s Connell business, which is best known as a marketer and distributor of specialty chemicals and ingredients in Asia-Pacific, where it has operated for over 120 years. Wilbur-Ellis also sees collaboration opportunities for NAS and its Nutrition division, a leader in the international marketing and distribution of nutrients for the livestock, pet food, and aquaculture industries.
“NAS has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to innovate,” added Buckley. “Over the past five years, the company has launched over 50 new products, which has provided greater stability in changing markets and contributed significantly to their product portfolio.” He added that the NAS liquid fertilizer business was one of the first companies to adopt the 4R Nutrient Stewardship philosophy.
NAS is the largest acquisition for Wilbur-Ellis, which was founded in 1921. It comes just two weeks after Wilbur-Ellis acquired Rangen Inc., Buhl, Idaho, a privately-held, 90-plus year-old aquaculture and general feed production company with production facilities in Buhl, Idaho, and Angleton, Texas. Rangen employs approximately 80 full-time employees at its headquarters and plant operations.