John R. Arend, 89, founder of International Chemical Company (Inter-Chem) and former member of the Board of Directors of The Fertilizer Institute, passed away on April 25, 2020, at his home in Tulsa, Okla., after a short illness.
Arend attended Texas Christian University and joined the FBI as a special agent after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam. He was then hired as the head of investigations at Continental Oil Company, where his career in the fertilizer industry began in 1966 when Continental Oil entered the phosphate rock business in Florida.
Eventually this business was sold to the Williams Companies, and Arend moved to Tulsa to join Agrico Chemical Company, where he served as Vice President of International Sales before founding Inter-Chem with his wife, Tricia, in 1976.
Inter-Chem was originally focused on the international trade of phosphate fertilizer, but the company grew to include nitrogen, potash, and sulfur, and also became involved in the U.S. wholesale fertilizer industry. Several other business lines were developed in the Inter-Chem portfolio before Arend sold the company to its employees in 2008.
Private graveside services for the family will be on May 2, with a memorial service to be held at a later date subject to COVID-19 guidelines. Arrangements are through Fitzgerald’s Funeral Home in Tulsa.