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Koch Fertilizer Canada expands headquarters

Koch Fertilizer Canada expands headquarters

The $33-million upgrade to the Koch Fertilizer Canada admin building in Brandon, Manitoba brings its operations, logistics, and sales and marketing teams under one roof.

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Image courtesy of Koch Fertilizer Canada

It took four years from its announcement in 2019 to its completion in 2022, but Koch Fertilizer Canada, ULC, now has a new administrative building at its Brandon, Manitoba facility.

A special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 4, 2022, at the facility, headlined by: the Honourable Heather Stefanson, Premier of Manitoba; Mayor Rick Chrest; and Economic Development Director Sandy Turdel.

The project, one of the largest investments ever made at the site, is one of several significant upgrades designed for expansion, efficiency, and improved environment, health and safety performance. Horizon Builders Ltd., established in Brandon 40 years ago, is the project’s general contractor.

The new $33-million space brings together its operations, logistics, and sales and marketing teams under one roof, and features office space for more than 100 employees.

Back in 2019, the company, Plant Manager Paul Liddle, recognized that the headquarter construction would be more than just about itself: “Not only are we making a significant investment in our business and our community, but our plans are a clear demonstration we are growing in Manitoba and believe we have a strong future in the province.”

The new building features a tree-lined façade, structure upgrades such as energy-efficient windows, doors and insulation, a new control room with state-of-the-art process control instrumentation, a laboratory, and maintenance shop.

Koch has grown from a single ammonia production facility to become a leading fertilizer producer, globally distributing more than 10 million metric tons of product annually, such as ammonia, urea, UAN, phosphate, and ATS.

The company has one production facility in Canada, and four in the US, with parent corporation, Koch Industries, Inc. hosting over 130,000 employees in 60 countries.

For more information on Koch Fertilizer Canada, visit https://kochfertilizer.com.


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For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.