21/09/07
GrowHow UK Ltd is to be the new name for the joint venture
company formed by Kemira GrowHow Oyj and Terra Industries
Inc. The company will begin trading on 1 October 2007 and
will be responsible for the combined Terra and Kemira GrowHow
fertiliser and associated process chemical businesses in
the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The new Chief Executive Officer is Paul Thompson who moves
from his current post as Vice President Sales & Marketing
at Terra’s headquarters in Sioux City, Iowa, USA.
Paul is a chartered engineer and a graduate of Sheffield
University who has worked in varied roles within ICI and
Terra. “This is an exciting development and a true
integration of two great fertiliser businesses. It will
allow us to improve our competitiveness in what is now
a global market securing a sustainable future for our customers
and employees,” he says.
Joining Paul Thompson on the GrowHow management team from
Kemira GrowHow will be Simon Walkington as Chief Financial
Officer (formerly UK company secretary) and David Stacey
as Commercial Director (formerly UK managing director).
From Terra Nitrogen UK comes Carol Devlin as Chief Administrative
Officer (formerly UK managing director) and Ashraf Malik
as Manufacturing Director adding the Kemira GrowHow site
at Ince, near Chester, to his current responsibilities
for Billingham and Severnside.
The new company’s head office will be located at
Ince. The Terra UK head office in Thornaby on Teesside
will close. Where possible, alternative vacancies will
be sought for those employees who are at risk of redundancy.
All three production sites will focus on identifying improvement
opportunities and eliminating inefficiencies. The new company
is as committed as its predecessors to manufacturing products
to the highest levels of quality and service at competitive
cost. Product wise the two companies are a natural fit.
Terra’s focus is on Ammonium Nitrate and the market
leading brand, Nitram, whilst Kemira GrowHow’s strength
is in NPK, NPKS and NS products. Terra’s well-known ‘blue
bag’ livery will be adopted across the whole product
range.
The new Commercial Director David Stacey adds, “Farmers
will continue to have access to world class fertilisers
and to a full range of advice and support services through
our own GrowHow Advisers or from the distributor GrowHow
Fieldsmen.”
The announcement follows final approval for the joint
venture which was given by the UK Competition Commission
on 14 September 2007. The new company will be the largest
producer of ammonium nitrate and compound fertilisers in
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