Agrium
{{Use Canadian English|date = February 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Agrium Inc.
| logo = Agrium logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Public
| traded_as = {{TSX was|AGU}}
{{NYSE was|AGU}}
(until December 2017)
| successor = Nutrien
| foundation = {{start date and age|1931}}
| defunct = {{End date|2017|12}}
| location = Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| key_people = Victor J. Zaleschuk (director and chairman of the board)
Chuck Magro (CEO)
| area_served = Worldwide
| num_employees = 15,500 (2014)
| revenue = {{Increase}} {{USD|16.0 billion}} (2014)
| operating_income = {{Increase}} {{USD|3.6 billion}} (2014)
| net_income = {{Increase}} {{USD|720 million}} (2014)
| assets = {{increase}}{{USD|17.1 billion}} (2014)
| equity = {{increase}} {{USD|6.7 billion}} (2014)
| industry = Chemicals, Agriculture
| fate = Merged with PotashCorp
| products = Agriculture
| divisions = Agrium Retail
Agrium Wholesale
| subsid = Agrium U.S.
| homepage = {{URL|agrium.com}}
}}
Agrium Inc. was a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North America, South America and Australia and a wholesale producer and marketer of all three major agricultural nutrients and a supplier of specialty fertilizers in North America.
In 2018, Agrium merged with PotashCorp to form Nutrien.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/potash-agrium-nutrien-merger-1.4469690|title=Merger of PotashCorp and Agrium finalized as shares in Nutrien start trading|work=CBC News|access-date=2018-01-03|language=en}}
History
Agrium was founded as Cominco Fertilizers (short for Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company{{Cite web|url=http://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw4blaylock.html|title = Vanishing B.C. "Blaylock Estate"}}) in 1931 and changed its name to Agrium in 1995. Agrium was headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Crop Production Services, Inc., a subsidiary company, was based in Loveland, Colorado and was the location of Agrium's Retail Business Unit head office. The company was a part-owner of Canpotex, which manages all potash exporting from Saskatchewan.
On September 12, 2016, Agrium announced that it had agreed to merge with PotashCorp, which will make the combined company, Nutrien, the largest producer of potash and second-largest producer of nitrogen fertilizer worldwide.{{cite news |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/business/mining/potashcorp-agrium-to-merge-as-name |title='Something forward-thinking, with the promise of innovation': PotashCorp, Agrium to merge as Nutrien |last=MacPherson |first=Alex |work=The StarPhoenix | date=2017-06-21 |accessdate=2017-06-21}}{{cite web|title=Agrium-PotashCorp merger could signal 'next great frontier,' Calgary chamber president says|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/agrium-potashcorp-merger-calgary-1.3759439|website=CBC News|accessdate=13 September 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/potash-agrium-merger-1.3757953 |title=Potash Corp., Agrium agree to merger that would create $36B agriculture giant |work=CBC News |date=2016-09-12 |accessdate=2016-09-12}} Agrium divested certain U.S. assets.{{Cite news|url=http://www.bnn.ca/agrium-sells-u-s-plants-to-ease-potash-corp-merger-concerns-1.908247|title=Agrium sells U.S. plants to ease Potash Corp merger concerns|date=2017-11-07|work=BNN|access-date=2017-11-07}} The merger closed on January 1, 2018.
Business units
=Retail=
Agrium operated close to 1,500 retail agricultural centres in the U.S., Canada, South America and Australia under the brand names Crop Production Services (CPS), Crop Production Services Canada (CPSC), Agroservicios Pampeanos S.A. and Landmark.{{Cite web |url=http://www.agrium.com/ext/Annual-Report-2014/ |title=Agrium Annual Report 2014 |access-date=2015-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821033549/http://www.agrium.com/ext/Annual-Report-2014/ |archive-date=2015-08-21 |url-status=dead }} Crop Production Services was acquired in 1994.
On December 3, 2010, Agrium announced the completion of the acquisition of the Australian Wheat Board for a total acquisition price of $1.236-billion Australian dollars. This acquisition added to the retail division of Agrium. Roughly 40% of the AWB holdings were sold to Cargill, including the Commodity Management Business.
In October 2013, Agrium announced the acquisition of Viterra's Canadian retail assets,{{cite web | url=http://www.agcanada.com/daily/agrium-seals-deal-for-viterra-retail-chain | title=AGCanada | date=May 22, 2023 }} after previously acquiring Viterra's retail locations in Australia.{{cite news |title=Glencore sale of Viterra farm outlets to Agrium wins Canadian regulatory nod |website=Reuters |date=September 5, 2013 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-glencore-viterra-idUSBRE98411P20130905}}
=Wholesale=
File:Under the pier, Nikiski.jpg.]]
The Wholesale segment produced nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and sulphur-based fertilizers. This segment also owned and operated a potash mine and production facility in the Rural Municipality of Vanscoy No. 345 in Saskatchewan, Canada, and a phosphate mine in Conda, Idaho, U.S.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
The Wholesale segment engaged in the ownership of nitrogen-based fertilizer plants in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, and in Damietta, Egypt.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
Environmental and social impacts
In 2003, Agrium was issued an administrative compliance order for excessive emissions at a Kennewick, Washington plant.[http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/89745a330d4ef8b9852572a000651fe1/67f869dcd75e43e4852570cb0075e26f!OpenDocument Agrium U.S. faces Clean Air Act violations in Kennewick | Newsroom | US EPA] Agrium discovered the violations at the Kennewick facility through a comprehensive Clean Air Act audit of the facility in late 2000. Agrium promptly reported the audit findings to EPA under EPA's policy on Incentives for Self-Policing, also referred to as the "Self-Disclosure Policy".{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} In 2005, Agrium was fined for failure to disclose release of toxic gases at this same plant.[http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/a4a961970f783d3a85257359003d480d/96beff78ce24c439852570cb0075e2de!OpenDocument Kennewick Fertilizer Plant Issued $24,575 Penalty for Late Reporting of Hazardous Gas Release | Newsroom | US EPA]
References
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External links
{{Portal|Companies}}
{{Commons category-inline}}
- [http://www.agrium.com/ Official site]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Companies based in Calgary
Category:Chemical companies established in 1931
Category:Fertilizer companies of Canada
Category:Grain industry of Australia
Category:Retail companies established in 1931
Category:Retail companies disestablished in 2017
Category:1931 establishments in Alberta
Category:2017 disestablishments in Alberta
Category:Stock and station agencies
Category:Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Category:Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange