Saskferco opened a fertilizer warehouse in Carman 25 years ago, in 2001. The company was founded in 1984 as a joint venture between Cargill (50 per cent), the Government of Saskatchewan (49 per cent) and Citibank Canada (one per cent), with the goal of building a plant near Belle Plaine, Sask., at a cost of $435 million. Saskferco became one of North America’s major producers of granular urea (2,850 tonnes daily), anhydrous ammonia (1,860 tonnes daily) and urea ammonium nitrate (670 tonnes daily).
On July 12, 2000, company leaders and local politicians gathered to announce construction had begun on the Carman facility, intended as a central storage and distribution hub for fertilizers, especially granular urea. “It means the RM of Dufferin is open for business,” Reeve Roth said at the time. “It also ensures the long-term viability of the CN rail line.”
Company CFO Ron Cameron added, “The site near Carman is ideal due to its access to both road and rail, making distribution to customers efficient.”
The 97,000-square-foot warehouse was designed to store 80,000 tonnes of fertilizer for distribution throughout Manitoba, North Dakota and Minnesota. Construction was expected to last a full year, creating 30 jobs during the build and ultimately employing two full-time staff members upon completion.
Local builders faced weather-related challenges from the outset. Project manager Satish Lyer noted, “Since we started last summer, we’ve rarely had three weeks of good weather in a row. Last fall, earthmoving equipment got stuck in the mud and required heavier machinery to free it. Wind delayed sheeting work, and cold temperatures kept frost in the ground until May, which pushed back rail track construction.”
The grand opening took place June 28, 2001. To highlight the convenience of rail transport, officials and dignitaries arrived by train from Winnipeg. The warehouse is supplied via the Central Manitoba Railway line from Belle Plaine, Sask., with fertilizers then trucked to their final destinations. A fireworks display marked the occasion for the large crowd in attendance.
Director of Marketing Ken MacQuarrie commented, “We’re excited to join your community, and the RM and Town were key in attracting us here. This facility will be essential to our customer service strategy moving forward.”
In 2008, the province and its then-partner, Mosaic, sold Saskferco to Yara, a Norwegian company recognized as a global leader in nitrogen fertilizer. The deal was valued at $1.6 billion. Today, Yara operates in more than 60 countries and continues to shape the industry.
