Agrium CEO visits Nikiski plant

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

John Van Brunt, president and chief executive officer of Calgary-based Agrium Inc., visited the former Unocal Alaska Nitrogen Products plant in Nikiski Oct. 23. He told employees that they are now part of a global corporation where the core business is agricultural products. (See related story on page A9 of this issue.)

Brunt spent nearly 30 years with Cominco, the Canadian mining company that spun off Agrium in 1993, and said he understands the problems of trying to operate an agricultural business under the umbrella of a parent company that concentrates on other areas. That will change with Agrium’s acquisition of the Nikiski plant, he said.

Van Brunt said the company’s employees will not see a lot of differences at first, though plant expansion may be in the future.

“The (agricultural) business grows year after year, so we will probably see more capital than less,” he said. “The world is going to need to produce 40 percent more foodstuffs in the next 20 years. It’s a challenging opportunity for us.”