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K+S with a long history in America

Fertilizers for the land of opportunity

07.08.2023 
K+S has been represented by a sales company in North America since 1954. For many years, K+S fertilizers from Germany were mainly shipped from Hamburg to the U.S. East Coast. There, the products were placed in rented warehouses and subsequently sold to American agricultural customers. Over time, K+S North America (KSNA) also succeeded in selling significant volumes of potassium sulfate (SOP) in the western United States. In this region, the fertilizers are used for the cultivation of such crops as almonds and other types of nuts.
Richard Pinner, President of K+S North America
K+S has an excellent reputation in the US and is very well established in the market.
Richard Pinner, President of K+S North America

Sales company with high proportion of women

KSNA currently has ten employees, eight of whom are from the USA. There is also one German employee and Richard Pinner, the Managing Director, who is English. Many employees have been with the company for a long time and their experience is an important success factor. The proportion of women is 40 percent and therefore well above the 11 percent for K+S as a whole.

New market opportunities arising from Bethune

When the new K+S potash plant in Bethune, Canada, started production in 2017, the framework conditions for KSNA fundamentally changed. Because now, for the first time, it was possible to transport K+S fertilizers to the USA by rail. Just at this time, in 2017, Richard Pinner joined KSNA from the UK as President and immediately had a major project on his plate. "At that time, I was able to use the experience and expertise of my Director of Sales, Trey Few and Director of Supply Chain, Dennis Liberatore. Together, we evaluated the north American potash market and developed a new strategy for KSNA," Pinner describes. This "go-to-market" strategy pursues the goal of establishing sustainable market share in North America over the long term whilst generating consistent revenues for K+S. "As K+S, we are very well established in the U.S. and enjoy an excellent reputation in the market," says Pinner. "Nevertheless, developing partnerships that add value to all parties and maintaining personal contact with customers is essential to our success in the American market."

Sales area significantly expanded

Most of the products go to bulk agricultural customers, such as wholesalers or retailers that blend K+S potash with nitrogen as well as phosphate and subsequently supply it to farmers as a complex fertilizer. "Whereas KSNA's activities before Bethune were more focused on the U.S. East Coast, in recent years we have been able to expand the sales area significantly since we started rail shipments from Bethune," Pinner emphasizes. 

K+S with a long history in America

In 1954, K+S founded Potash Import & Chemical Corporation (PICC), its first sales company in North America. At that time, PICC was based in New York. On January 1, 2008, PICC was transformed into K+S North America and renamed accordingly. In 2015, the company moved from New York to Chicago to take advantage of back-office synergies with the former K+S subsidiary Morton Salt.  

The blue rail cars from K+S Potash Canada carry the potash from Bethune into the U.S.
The blue rail cars from K+S Potash Canada carry the potash from Bethune into the U.S.
Potash warehouse in Charleston, South Carolina.
Potash warehouse in Charleston, South Carolina.
In total 250 of the blue KSPC rail cars operate between the Bethune Mine and the locations in Canada and the U.S.
In total 250 of the blue KSPC rail cars operate between the Bethune Mine and the locations in Canada and the U.S.
The staff of K+S North America during a mine tour at Bethune in Saskatchewan/Canada.
The staff of K+S North America during a mine tour at Bethune in Saskatchewan/Canada.
Sulphate of Potash in big bags stored in a warehouse in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Sulphate of Potash in big bags stored in a warehouse in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Richard Pinner, President of K+S North America
Richard Pinner, President of K+S North America

Richard Pinner: Career in sales

Managing Director Richard Pinner is passionate about sales. Richard grew up on a farm in Cambridge, England. He began his sales career at the age of 19, selling cars to American military personnel in Kaiserslautern, Germany. In 1998, he returned to England and from then on worked for an agricultural trader and retailer. It was there that he became more involved with fertilizers, which he sold to local farmers. In 2005 he joined K+S UK & Eire as Sales Manager, coming from a subsidiary of the agri-trading company Cargill, ultimately rising to become Managing Director for K+S UK & Eire in 2010. In 2017, he followed the call to the US and was appointed President of K+S North America. “Managing a K+S subsidiary is always interesting, and diverse. You’re exposed to all the different aspects and processes across our business – marketing, sales, logistics, invoicing, banking, forecasting, reporting, HR, and so on”. “I’ve also always enjoyed our broad product portfolio. Talking fertilizers to farmers one minute then high purity products with food manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies the next!”.

Your contact for questions about the news

Wudonig michael.wudonig@k-plus-s.com
Michael Wudonig
Spokesman for corporate topics

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