Maumee, Ohio-The Andersons Inc. on July 31 announced it has closed the purchase of the fertilizer division of Hartung Brothers Inc. (GM May 11, 2009) as an addition to its Plant Nutrient Group. “The acquisition of HBI’s fertilizer division enhances the core business of our Plant Nutrient Group (PNG) and extends our geographic footprint beyond the Eastern Corn Belt,” says CEO Mike Anderson. “This well-respected organization brings with it a quality customer base that we are looking forward to serving.” The acquisition of this leading regional wholesale supplier of liquid fertilizers includes strategically-located facilities with 145,000 tons of storage capacity in Wisconsin and Minnesota that generated $60 million in revenue in 2008. This acquisition increases the overall Plant Nutrient capacity by nearly 20 percent. The Andersons Plant Nutrient Group formulates, stores, and distributes 2 million tons of liquid and dry nutrients (fertilizer) to agribusiness and industrial accounts through 19 wholesale distribution terminals in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Florida, and Puerto Rico. The Group also operates 11 full-service retail farm centers serving Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida. In other news, The Andersons on July 29 said it has increased its grain storage capacity in Michigan by nearly 4 million bushels. The company recently signed agreements with Mason Elevator Co. Inc. and Woodbury Grain LLC for grain storage at two south-central Michigan facilities in the communities of Mason and Woodbury. The Andersons will merchandise the grain at both facilities and will also conduct grain originations at the Woodbury facility. The additional bushels bring total Anderson capacity to more than 101 million bushels. Capacity expansion work is also underway at the company’s facilities in Delphi, Indiana, and White Pigeon, Michigan. Each facility will increase its capacity by 750,000 bushels within the next few months.
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