Deerfield, Ill.-CF Industries Holdings Inc. reported April 27 that its Plant City, Florida, Phosphate Complex experienced an accident resulting in three non-life-threatening injuries to contract employees when a steel plate they were working on fell approximately eight feet. “Unfortunately, we had injuries to three contract employees, but the injuries appear to be non-life-threatening,” said Herschel Morris, vice president, Phosphate Operations. “Those employees are receiving appropriate treatment for their injuries at local area hospitals, and we offer our thoughts and prayers to them and their families for a quick recovery.” Morris went on to note that there were no reports of injuries or other impacts outside the facility, no chemicals were released, and there were no environmental impacts. He explained that the situation was quickly resolved by facility personnel. At the same time, appropriate state and local emergency response officials were notified of the incident, and they provided back-up to facility emergency responders. The incident was also reported immediately to local and state regulatory authorities. Facility officials would not speculate as to the cause of the incident, which took place while the equipment they were working on was shut down. An investigation began immediately to determine what happened. “Our concern right now is for the recovery of our contract employees who were injured,” commented Morris, adding that, “We are going to give to them and their families the support they need to hasten their return to good health.” On April 30, CF told Green Markets that one of the three had been released from the hospital. The accident took place in a converter in a sulfuric acid plant, with no damage to the facility. CF had just reported on April 23 that it had zero lost-time accidents (LTA) at its facilities during the first quarter ending March 31, 2009. It also noted that its Donaldsonville, La., Nitrogen Complex reached 3.7 million safe work hours (nearly 6.5 years) without an LTA. The Medicine Hat, Alberta, Nitrogen Complex had gone 20 months without an LTA, which ended in April with a minor accident. CF’s St. Louis Warehouse achieved 10,000 consecutive days – or more than 27 years – without an LTA.

Marysville, Ohio-The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. reported a 33 percent increase in net income for the second quarter ending March 28, 2009, to $77.4 million ($1.18 per diluted share) on sales of $960.1 million, versus the year-ago $58 million ($.88 per share) and $958.0 million. While overall sales were about flat, those for Scotts’s largest unit, global consumer, were up 4 percent. “In the face of a deteriorating economy, the lawn and garden category continues to show its resiliency, and we continue to see the power of our brands,” said Jim Hagedorn, Scotts president and CEO. “The strong level of consumer demand in the category now gives us confidence that adjusted earnings will be in the upper half of our guidance of $2.10-$2.30 per share. While it’s still early, we could see upside to our projections if current trends in the core business continue throughout the balance of the lawn and garden season. The results so far in April are encouraging, as the past two weeks have each resulted in record levels of consumer purchases of our products at our major retail partners in the U.S.” Six-month net income was $20.4 million ($.31 per share) on sales of $1.28 billion, up from the year-ago $1.2 million ($.02 per share) and $1.27 billion.