Agriliance LLC announced Nov. 14 that Brian Thoma was named crop nutrients business director, encompassing crop nutrients sales and product management, and Bruce Vernon was named director of crop nutrients marketing and risk management services. Thoma will be responsible for management oversight of all wholesale crop nutrients sales and supply. Vernon will be responsible for development and marketing of new risk management services to enhance dealer and grower profitability.
Both Thoma and Vernon will report to Doug Wonnacott, vice president, Crop Nutrients.
Thoma joined the company in mid-October as director, crop nutrients sales. Prior to joining Agriliance he was senior merchandiser with DeBruce Fertilizer Inc., Kansas City, Mo. He will relocate from Kansas City to the St. Paul, Minn. area.
Vernon’s previous position was director, crop nutrients sales.
In related moves, the crop nutrients supply position previously held by Steve Markey has been eliminated. Mark Miller, previous product manager, dry nitrogen products, has resigned for personal reasons, and will be relocating to Kansas City.
A Green Markets Alert sent out Nov. 14 announced the Agriliance changes, using a press release that gave a different title for Thoma. Soon thereafter the company issued another release, correcting the title to the one listed above.
Gene Smith of Inter-Chem announced his retirement, effective Nov. 1, after completing more than 30 years in the fertilizer industry.
David Crabill has joined Inter-Chem and is based in Dubuque, Iowa. He will cover the upper Midwest and can be reached at 866-778-4817 or 563-823-8618.
Milford Wiley of Inter-Chem has announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31, 2006, after 23 years in the fertilizer industry.
James Nichols will be joining Inter-Chem effective Dec. 1. He will be covering Texas and the Southwestern markets and will be based in Tyler, Texas. He can be reached at 866-449-6186 or 903-592-4746.
The Fertilizer Institute Vice President of Scientific Programs, William Herz, has been appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) Committee on Integrated Nitrogen. Over the next two years, the committee will identify and analyze the problems reactive nitrogen presents in the environment and the links between them, as well as evaluate the benefits of an integrated nitrogen management strategy for EPA.
Marney Thomas Nunnally, 64, of Paducah, Ky., and formally of Glasgow, died Nov. 10 in Paducah. He had been involved in fertilizer sales for several years, most recently with Waterway Ag Inc. in Paducah, and had also worked for IMC and Hutson’s. He is survived by his mother, his wife, three children, and seven grandchildren. Funeral services were held Nov. 13. Memorials may be made to Organ Transplant Services, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, P.O. Box 790369, St. Louis, Mo. 63179-9847; Friends of Dialysis Patients, 1532 Lone Oak Rd., Suite G12, Paducah, Ky. 42003; or New Salem Cemetery Fund, c/o J. T. Pedigo, 3067 New Salem Rd., Glasgow, Ky. 42141.
James Wilde Bratt, 81, a 48-year veteran of the fertilizer industry who worked for Allied Chemical Co. and founded T-Tech Corporation, passed away Sept. 23 at his home in Omaha, Neb. After serving in World War II and earning degrees from Rutgers and the University of Wisconsin, Bratt joined Allied in 1952. During his 30-year tenure with Allied’s agricultural fertilizer division, he advanced from a market research analyst to become the Director of Product Sales East. His responsibilities included the management of sales, marketing, and distribution of plant food products under the trade name of “Arcadian” for the eastern half of the U.S. Following his retirement from Allied in 1982, Bratt helped found T-Tech Corp., which manufactured, marketed, and distributed a line of specialty fertilizer and amendment products throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries. Bratt remained president of the company until its sale in 2000. Bratt and his wife, Frances, settled in Omaha in 2005 after being forced from their retirement home in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Bratt’s remains were interred at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 13. Memorial gifts can be made to: VNA Hospice Care, Visiting Nurses Association, 1941 S. 42nd St. Ste. 225, Omaha, Neb., 68105.