Summit-Quinphos moves ahead under new ownership

Media release for immediate use
1 September 2008

Summit-Quinphos moves ahead under new ownership

Willie Thomson, the Summit-Quinphos National Sales and Marketing Manager, has been appointed General Manager of the company following its acquisition by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

He heads a revamped organisational structure that positions Summit-Quinphos as a separate entity within the Ballance group, responsible for its own sales and marketing, research and development, and customer services. He reports direct to the Ballance CEO.

Gray Baldwin, the Summit-Quinphos CEO at the time of the acquisition, is leaving the company to pursue other interests.  Gray has been instrumental in returning the company to a profitable level and leaves the company in excellent shape and well positioned for the future.  

Dr Jamie Blennerhassett, Summit-Quinphos Technical Service Manager, continues to lead the Summit-Quinphos research and development programme, building on the company’s current product range.

Since buying the 60 percent of Summit-Quinphos it did not already own in July, Ballance has developed a detailed structure and integration proposal, which was put to Summit-Quinphos employees in early August.

Following this consultation, it was agreed that the Summit-Quinphos Head Office will relocate to Tauranga, where Ballance is based, in January next year.

Stepping up to his new role with Ballance, Mr Thomson says it was more important than ever for farmers to seek the best possible advice to ensure they received both value for money and a return on their investment in fertiliser.

‘Summit-Quinphos has a proven reputation in this area, with its excellent farmer to fert consultant ratio enabling a more personalised service. All our customers benefit from working with our specialist team of Field Consultants and using our superior range of fertiliser products and services.’

Summit-Quinphos and Ballance are also working on combining the two companies’ national distribution networks, which could take another 18 months, and on migrating Summit-Quinphos to the Ballance IT platform over time.

Ballance CEO Larry Bilodeau said it had been an imperative to get the right organisational structure in place first to take Summit-Quinphos forward.

‘Summit-Quinphos under Willie’s leadership will continue to provide its loyal customers with its special range of fertiliser products and services. All competitive aspects of its operation, such as sales and marketing, its Field Consultants, and R&D, will remain independent, with the two entities competing openly,’ he said.

Mr Thomson was born and raised on family farms in South West Scotland. After achieving a Higher National Diploma in Farm Business Management in the UK, he joined ICI Fertilisers and went on to hold various management positions throughout the UK fertiliser industry.
 
He first heard of Summit-Quinphos while in Tunisia on a buying mission for phosphates, eventually moving to New Zealand in February 2003 to join the company, becoming its National Sales and Marketing Manager earlier this year.

ENDS

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