All Posts from June 11, 2012

CF gives Donaldsonville update

Midwest, News, News Briefs

Deerfield, Ill. — It often takes a while to start up a nitrogen complex after a power outage, and such was the case with CF Industries Holdings Inc. The company said power was restored at the Donaldsonville, La., complex less than 12 hours after the storm activity of Thursday, May 31. CF said that a safe and orderly start-up of the plants began following a thorough assessment of the site. Damage from the storm was minor, and as of Thursday, June 7, only one of ten operating units remained down. CF expects that unit to be fully operational by Friday, June 8.

Truth Chemical – Management Brief

Management Briefs

Truth Chemical has hired Jared Ellis to the position of fertilizer sales and trading. Jared will be working from his home in Tulsa, Okla., and can be reached at 918.625.8992 or via email at jellis@truthind.com. He held previous sales/trading positions in the fertilizer industry with Ben Trei and CGB Fertilizer.

Truth has also added to their Industrial Chemical team. Stuart Greene joins the company with an emphasis on industrial chemical sales in the southwest U.S., focusing on the broad industrial chemical segments in the greater Houston market. He will office at the company’s headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, and can be reached at 281.292.6900 or by email at sgreene@truthind.com.

LebanonTurf – Management Brief

Management Briefs

LebanonTurf, Lebanon, Penn., has announced three sales and product management appointments. Vic Swann has been named national sales manager, Joe Sandock territory sales manager, and Christopher Gray product manager. Swann will lead the LebanonTurf sales team in North America, with an emphasis on the continued growth of the traditional and bionutritional categories, as well as development of distributor relationships. Prior to joining LebanonTurf, Swann was sales manager at Astra Resources in Vero Beach, Fla., and director of North America sales for Aquatrols in Paulsboro, N.J. He assumes the position held by Tom Wentz, who will retire later this year.

As territory sales manager, Sandock will develop and implement sales and service strategies and programs for distributors and customers. Sandock was residential client services sales manager for AA Tex Lawn and is the former owner of Planters Lawn & Landscape. Both businesses are based in Charlotte, N.C.

Gray’s responsibilities as product manager include identifying new fertilizer products and managing existing fertilizer product offerings. He was business development manager for Indianapolis-based Precise Path Robotics. A former general manager and golf course superintendent at Marvel Golf Club and Estates in Benton, Ky., Gray is well known within the turf management field as a columnist for Golfdom and Superintendent magazines. In 2012 he was named by Golf magazine as one of the 40 most influential people in golf under the age of 40.

Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) – Management Brief

Management Briefs

Effective July 2, Donnie Taylor will be joining the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) to serve as the new vice president of membership and corporate relations. Taylor will be filling the position vacated by Jim Thrift, who retired from ARA full-time this spring.

Taylor joins ARA with more than 25 years of experience working in the agriculture industry. He currently serves as a key account executive for Chemtura AgroSolutions in the Western U.S., where he is responsible for managing the revenue and support of several major agricultural distributors and retailers. Prior to this position, Taylor held several full-time and contract positions in sales, distribution, business development, and management for other major companies with agricultural products, including Valent, CDMS, United Suppliers, and Syngenta. He holds a B.S. degree in agronomy from North Carolina State University.

In Taylor’s new position with ARA, he will be responsible for membership development and recruitment and management of ARA’s Member Services Committee. In addition, he will also be an informational resource for ARA members, and will assist members with specific business or regulatory challenges impacting their operations.

“We’re excited to bring Donnie on board and welcome the industry knowledge and business acumen he will bring to the role,” said Daren Coppock, ARA president and CEO.

“The experience that Taylor has gained from working with and for several of ARA’s member companies was a key consideration in recruiting Donnie, allowing him to bring a
practical perspective to the many policy issues our members face on a daily basis.” Thrift will continue to work for ARA on a part-time basis through the end of July, and will assist with Taylor’s transition into his new position.

H.J. Baker & Bro. Inc. – Management Brief

Management Briefs

H.J. Baker & Bro Inc., headquartered in Westport, Conn., has announced that John Gladden, a certified crop advisor, has joined the company’s Fertilizer Division as the
eastern regional sales manager. Gladden will oversee sales efforts for all of H. J. Baker’s Tiger® Sulphur Bentonite products throughout Eastern Canada, New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeastern U.S. Gladden has more than 35 years of experience in the agriculture and fertilizer industries, and was previously a sales manager for Chem Nut Inc., marketing micronutrients to their members and outside accounts.

“As demand increases for our Tiger® Sulphur Bentonite products, we will continue to add to our sales team to ensure we offer the best possible customer service in the industry,” said Mark Hochgesang, director of sales for H. J. Baker’s Fertilizer Group. “John understands that we put customers first, and I know our customers will enjoy working with him very much.”

Tessenderlo Kerley to construct new plant

News, News Briefs, Western

Phoenix — Tessenderlo Group has announced that its subsidiary, Tessenderlo Kerley Inc. (TKI), Phoenix, will construct a production facility at Hanford, Calif., and at the same time optimize its Fresno, Calif., facility. Both plants will produce thiosulfate fertilizers. “This expansion allows TKI to better serve its customers’ increasing requirements in the Western region of the U.S.,” said TKI CEO Jordan Burns. “The extra production capacity, available in the second half of 2014, will enforce TKI’s position as the leading supplier of KTS® and CaTs® fertilizers.” The thiosulfate products KTS® (potassium thiosulfate solution) and CaTs® (calcium thiosulfate solution) are sulfur-based liquid specialty fertilizers that can be applied to a wide variety of crops such as grapes, nuts, and vegetables. Tessenderlo says the new Hanford facility and optimized Fresno plant are in line with Tessenderlo Group’s intentions to develop its core businesses in agriculture.

Icahn sued by minority shareholders

News, News Briefs, Northeast

Wilmington — Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who now owns 80 percent of CVR Energy Inc., has been sued by minority shareholders in Delaware Chancery Court, seeking to keep him from forcing a short-form merger and requiring them to sell their stock. The plaintiffs – City of Tamarac Firefighter Pension Trust Fund and the City of Miami General Employees’ and Sanitation Employees’ Retirement Fund – want the imposition of a poison pill that would require Icahn to negotiate with them to buy any additional shares, rather than allowing him to conduct an open market scheme to game Delaware law, according to the complaint. CVR issued a release June 4 saying that a short-term merger is not being contemplated at this time. Icahn is currently in the midst of a 60-day period (May 24-July 23, 2012) in which he is seeking a buyer for CVR (GM May 28, p. 12). He is seeking at least $35 per share. After that period, Icahn is under no obligation to attempt to sell CVR and does not currently intend to actively do so, saying continually shopping CVR would be disruptive to operations. If a sale of CVR is executed prior to Aug. 18, 2013, those receiving $30 per share from Icahn would also receive contingent value rights for the amount over $30. After that date, the right will expire. CVR shares have been falling in recent weeks, closing at $24.62 on June 6.

County grants tax break for Howard Fertilizer

News, News Briefs

Sebring, Fla. — The Highlands County, Fla., Commission voted 5-0 last week to grant a property tax break to Howard Fertilizer and Chemical Co., who will build a new dry fertilizer plant in the county. The company promised to bring 26 full-time jobs paying between $35,498/y and $100,000/y to run the operation in a county with an average wage of $28,399. The county agreed to give up 72.65 percent of the property tax for 10 years if the company makes good on its promise. The total tax forgiveness for the 10 years would amount to $165,000. The project will bring an investment of $33.9 million into the county. The company said the blending plant was expected to go into operation in September, and that it will close its existing facility in Orlando. The purpose of the move is to place the plant closer to citrus and other agricultural operations. Howard blends fertilizers for lawn and turf, as well as commercial agriculture.

Idaho phos mine cleanup could be costly

News, News Briefs, Phosphate Rock, Western

Washington — Cleaning up selenium contamination at 16 phosphate mines on public lands will probably cost "hundreds of millions of dollars," a newly released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says. The "informal estimate" comes from EPA officials, who told GAO that "long-term remedial actions" will likely be needed at several of the mines, all located in southeastern Idaho. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is responsible for leasing and oversight of mines on federal lands, has made some improvements to its program since 1996 – conducting "more detailed environmental analysis when evaluating new mine plans, requir[ing] phosphate mine operators to provide more comprehensive plans for reclaiming mine sites …, and … requir[ing] the mine operators to provide financial assurances that are based on the full estimated cost of reclaiming mines," instead of on the size of the mines. However, the report noted that BLM "has not documented its new full-cost financial assurance practice in agency policy and therefore has limited assurance that it will be implemented consistently." GAO also said BLM "has not fully coordinated with the Forest Service" when developing lease conditions and financial assurance amounts. Perhaps most troublesome, GAO said about $4.5 million of the $91 million in assurances held by BLM, the Forest Service, and EPA are in the form of risky "corporate guarantees" that could put taxpayers on the hook for the bulk of cleanup costs. "After years of study and millions of dollars spent, the agencies and mine operators are still years away from fully understanding the extent of contamination in the area and many more years away from completing actual mine cleanup," said GAO.

United Services Association – Management Brief

Management Briefs

United Services Association, Urbandale, Iowa, has announced organizational changes. Frank Edwards will join USA’s staff effective June 18 as vice president of crop nutrient procurement. Prior to joining USA, his 30-plus year career has centered on crop nutrient marketing, sales, procurement, and distribution responsibilities within the regional cooperative systems. He and his family will be relocating to the Des Moines, Iowa area. Edwards can be reached at 515.246.3061.

Michael Meether, previously vice president of crop nutrient procurement, will transition to chief operating officer in the leadership role of the association’s Northern Ag Suppliers subsidiary. Both Edwards and Meether will report to Mark Morrissey, CEO and president of USA.

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