December 14, 2012
Koch FPF Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Koch Fertilizer, LLC has acquired Farmers Plant Food, Inc., a leading privately-held fertilizer manufacturer and distributor of value-added fertilizer products and services. The company is based in Garretson, S.D., with production and distribution facilities in Garretson, Wolsey and Corson, S.D. and Verdi, Minn. Kevin Baum, president of Farmers Plant Food, will remain with the business on a consulting basis to assist in the transition to Koch Fertilizer. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“With the addition of new products and growth of our storage and distribution networks, this move supports our overall expansion efforts while providing value for our customers and suppliers,” said Steve Packebush, president of Koch Fertilizer. “In today’s evolving fertilizer marketplace, customers are demanding greater performance and higher overall service responsiveness. This move will help us better meet both of those objectives.”
Farmers Plant Food was founded in 1980 by Baum in Garretson as a regional fertilizer distributor of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and manufacturer of ammonium polyphosphate (APP). The business has expanded into other value-added liquid fertilizer products in recent years and has approximately 90,000 tons of liquid storage capacity serviceable by both rail and truck. In addition to its liquid fertilizer business, Farmers Plant Food also markets dry fertilizer in the Upper Midwest.
“Farmers Plant Food’s liquid phosphorus and specialty plant food products are an excellent fit for Koch Fertilizer’s portfolio,” said Scott McGinn, Koch Nitrogen’s senior vice president for North America. “The addition of these top-quality products, established customer base and solid distribution network should significantly enhance our presence in this growing market.”