Editing Agrium

{{Short description|Defunct agricultural product retail supplier}}
{{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 company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{TSX was|AGU}}<br>{{NYSE was|AGU}}<br>(until December 2017)
| successor = [[Nutrien]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1931}}
| defunct = {{End date|2017|12}}
| location = [[Calgary|Calgary, Alberta]], Canada
| key_people = Victor J. Zaleschuk ([[Executive director|director]] and [[chairman]] of the [[Board of Directors|board]])<br />[[Chuck Magro]] ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
| area_served = Worldwide
| num_employees = 15,500 (2014)<ref name="agrium"/>
| revenue = {{Increase}} {{USD|16.0 billion}} <small>(2014)</small><ref name=agrium/>
| operating_income = {{Increase}} {{USD|3.6 billion}} <small>(2014)</small><ref name=agrium/>
| net_income = {{Increase}} {{USD|720 million}} <small>(2014)</small><ref name=agrium/>
| assets = {{increase}}{{USD|17.1 billion}} <small>(2014)</small><ref name=agrium/>
| equity = {{increase}} {{USD|6.7 billion}} <small>(2014)</small><ref name=agrium/>
| industry = Chemicals, Agriculture
| fate = Merged with [[PotashCorp]]
| products = [[Agriculture]]
| divisions = Agrium Retail<br />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 [[fertilizer]]s in North America.

In 2018, Agrium merged with [[PotashCorp]] to form [[Nutrien]].<ref name="CBCMerge">{{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}}</ref>

==History==

Agrium was founded as Cominco Fertilizers (short for Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw4blaylock.html|title = Vanishing B.C. "Blaylock Estate"}}</ref>) in 1931 and changed its name to Agrium in 1995. Agrium was headquartered in [[Calgary|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]].<ref name="Canpotex Limited - Complete Profile"/>

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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="cbc-agriummerge">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Agrium divested certain U.S. assets.<ref>{{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}}</ref>  The merger closed on January 1, 2018.<ref name="CBCMerge"/>

==Business units==

Agrium operated in two business segments:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Agrium - My Pick In The Fertilizer Sector |url=https://seekingalpha.com/article/3642876-agrium-pick-in-fertilizer-sector |publisher=SeekingAlpha |date=2015-11-04 |accessdate=2020-02-15}}</ref>

===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.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Agrium completes acquisition of AWB"/> This acquisition added to the retail division of Agrium. Roughly 40% of the AWB holdings were sold to [[Cargill]], including the Commodity Management Business.<ref name="Agrium Sells AWB Commodity Management Business to Cargill" />

In October 2013, Agrium announced the acquisition of [[Viterra]]'s Canadian retail assets,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.agcanada.com/daily/agrium-seals-deal-for-viterra-retail-chain | title=AGCanada | date=May 22, 2023 }}</ref> after previously acquiring Viterra's retail locations in Australia.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

===Wholesale===
[[File:Under the pier, Nikiski.jpg|thumb|Industrial pier at a currently out-of-service Agrium fertilizer plant in [[Nikiski, Alaska]].]]
The Wholesale segment produced nitrogen, [[phosphate]], [[potash]], and [[Sulfur|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|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.<ref>[http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/89745a330d4ef8b9852572a000651fe1/67f869dcd75e43e4852570cb0075e26f!OpenDocument Agrium U.S. faces Clean Air Act violations in Kennewick | Newsroom | US EPA]</ref>  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 [[List of highly toxic gases|toxic gases]] at this same plant.<ref>[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]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="agrium">{{cite web|url=http://www.agrium.com/ext/Annual-Report-2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327030038/http://www.agrium.com/ext/Annual-Report-2014/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-03-27|title=Annual Report 2014|accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref>

<ref name="Canpotex Limited - Complete Profile">{{cite web |title=Canpotex Limited - Complete Profile |url=http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/srch/nvgt.do?sbPrtl=&prtl=1&estblmntNo=123456011881&profile=cmpltPrfl&profileId=501&app=sold&lang=eng |publisher=Industry Canada |date=2009-06-18 |accessdate=2010-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521003950/http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/srch/nvgt.do?sbPrtl=&prtl=1&estblmntNo=123456011881&profile=cmpltPrfl&profileId=501&app=sold&lang=eng |archive-date=May 21, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Agrium completes acquisition of AWB">{{cite web |url=http://www.agrium.com/news/1812.jsp|title=Agrium completes acquisition of AWB |accessdate=2011-11-12}}</ref>

<ref name="Agrium Sells AWB Commodity Management Business to Cargill">{{cite web |url=http://www.agrium.com/news/1819.jsp|title=Agrium Sells AWB Commodity Management Business to Cargill |accessdate=2011-11-12}}</ref>
}}

==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]]
[[Category:Agriculture companies established in 1931]]