San Francisco-Wilbur-Ellis Co. said Nov. 5 that it will purchase the assets of Schall Chemical Supply LLC (Schall), a full-service agricultural fertilizer and crop protection distributor located in Monte Vista and Delta, Colo. The transaction is expected to close by Dec. 31, 2008, and will result in Schall’s operations relocating to new facilities within the same localities. “Schall has served the San Luis Valley for more than 80 years and has an excellent reputation for delivering a high level of service to its customers,” said John Thacher, Wilbur-Ellis president and CEO. “Acquiring Schall is consistent with our strategic plan of identifying well-managed businesses that provide us with a solid footing in new markets, as well as existing markets we already serve.” Schall owner Jere Jones said, “Joining forces with Wilbur-Ellis will enhance our ability to bring the latest product innovations to our customers along with the newest technology and expanded services. The marketplace is changing and to take our service offering to the next level, we need to align ourselves with a company that has the necessary resources, shares common values with us, and possesses a high level of commitment to agriculture.” The Colorado operations will be organized as part of the Southwest business unit, which reports to Daniel Vradenburg, Wilbur-Ellis executive vice president and Agribusiness Division leader. “We currently provide full service to customers with similar cropping patterns in the Farmington, New Mexico area and there will be excellent opportunities to share expertise between these two locations,” said Steven Dietze, Wilbur-Ellis vice president and manager for the Southwest business unit. Founded in 1921, and with total sales exceeding $2 billion, Wilbur-Ellis specializes in the marketing, distribution and formulation of crop protection products, fertilizers, and animal feed in the United States.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain