Mississippi Phosphates Corp. has named Richard Johnson as vice president of operations. Prior to this promotion, he was director of corporate development and administration at the company’s Madison, Miss., office. He has relocated to Pascagoula, where he has assumed his new responsibilities. Johnson has a degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University and is a registered engineer in Mississippi.
Tenkoz Inc., a strategic sourcing company and the largest distribution entity for crop protection products in the U.S., announced that John Juvenal, president since 2000, will retire effective Dec. 31, 2010. “Few people have served the crop protection industry for as many years as John Juvenal, and his contributions have been extremely important to our industry,” said Dale Engan, Tenkoz chairman and member of the executive committee. Juvenal retires with 50 years of experience in the crop protection industry. He graduated in 1955 from the University of Texas, Austin, with a degree in Botany, and began his career with Stauffer Chemical Co. in 1956. He retired from Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), which bought Stauffer, as director of sales in 1989. He joined Tenkoz in 1992 and became president in 2000.
Succeeding Juvenal as president will be Jim Wissmiller. He is also a veteran of the crop protection industry, and he began his career in 1970 with Stauffer in field sales. He quickly received several promotions and key international assignments. Wissmiller eventually became vice president with ICI, and following a merger between ICI and Norvartis Crop Protection to form Syngenta Corp., he took early retirement. He joined Tenkoz in 2001 and has served since then as a vice president of the organization. He is also immediate past chairman of Chemical Producers/Distributors Association (CPDA). Founded in 1983, Tenkoz, Alpharetta, Ga., is comprised of 14 regional independent distribution companies with combined purchases representing 25 percent of the U.S. crop protection market. Tenkoz shareholders include Britz/Simplot, Cardinal Chemical Inc., Coastal Agrobusiness Inc., Diamond R. Fertilizers, The Dune Co., Jimmy Sanders Inc., Kova Fertilizer Inc., Meherrin Agriculture & Chemical Co. Inc., Triangle Chemical Co., Rosen’s Inc., J.R. Simplot Co., Van Diest Supply Co., West Central Inc., and Wilbur-Ellis Co.