James T. “Jimmy” Pursell on Nov. 15 was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, which honors business leaders and key figures who have influenced the economic, political, and cultural aspects of life in Alabama.
“We’re proud of this prestigious recognition for our family patriarch, which places him alongside more than 200 of our state’s most impactful individuals,” said Taylor Pursell, chairman of Pursell Agri-Tech, Sylacauga, Ala. “Although Pursell has been a leader in the fertilizer industry for more than a century, my father’s legacy for innovation drives us every day at our new business, Pursell Agri-Tech.”
In 1956 Jimmy Pursell joined Parker Fertilizer, which was owned by his father-in-law, Howard Parker, and had been started by Howard’s father, DeWitt Parker, in 1904. Pursell became president of the company in 1964, and began moving the company away from traditional fertilizer to newer specialty products, such as slow-release fertilizers.
In the 1980s, Pursell built a manufacturing plant that used a special coating known as sulfur-coated urea (SCU), which allowed the fertilizer – and essential nutrients for turf growth, color, and disease resistance – to be released over a longer period. When the plant opened in 1986 to produce Pursell’s SulfurKote®, it was one of only four SCU plants in the world, and brought national and international attention to the company. The company also developed, manufactured, and marketed Polyon® Fertilizers.
Pursell relocated the company headquarters to the family farm in 1997, and established Pursell Farms, as well as a hospitality-oriented educational program for golf course superintendents and ornamental nursery growers. He built FarmLinks Golf Course, the world’s first and only research and demonstration course, designed by Hurdzan-Fry Environmental Golf Course Design. Utilizing the hospitality strategy, the Pursells grew the Polyon business to leading positions in the golf and nursery segments.
The fertilizer business was sold in 2006, but did not include any Pursell Farms assets. Today Pursell Farms is a full-amenity luxury resort, and one of the top-rated hospitality businesses in the southeastern U.S.
Pursell attended Auburn University and supports several initiatives there, including the Center for Organizational Cultures in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, endowed chairs, and programs for student athletes. He has served as chairman of the State of Alabama Ethics Commission.