2935 S. Koke Mill Rd.
Springfield, Illinois
62711 USA
800.252.2905
217.547.5800
217.547.5801 fax
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Brandt Consolidated has been in the fertilizer business since Glen Brandt and Evelyn Brandt Thomas established Brandt Fertilizer in 1953. From the first location just west of New Berlin, IL, we have grown to ten locations designed to provide world-class service to farmers in central Illinois. The Pleasant Plains location, which is the company headquarters, was built in 1957. The other locations added were Ashland, Waverly, Curran, Auburn, Oakford, Franklin, Greenview and Raymond. The micronutrient and wholesale chemical division, known as Brandt Chemical, was established in 1967. Today it is known as two separate divisions - ClawEl Specialty Products and Dealer Support. As they say, the rest is history.
Brandt Consolidated was created to help farmers adopt new, profitable technology for their operations. We believe service is the most important role we will play with our customers - our people are the key to our success in outstanding customer service. We invest in the training and development of our employees so they are knowledgeable of the latest technologies and how they are best implemented for each of our customers. We are excited about what the future holds for the agricultural industry and our employees are ready to serve our customers to help in their success.
We offer many agricultural products including liquid and dry fertilizers, anhydrous ammonia, crop protection chemicals, micronutrients, seed, propane and feed. We also offer service-oriented products like GPS receivers, yield monitors, the HighQ Decision Support System, custom application, soil sampling, and the soybean CystStopper Program. We have marketing and risk management programs available such as the Cargill AgHorizons Performance 90, the Farmers National Marketing Group, and OSCAR.
History Year by Year
1953
Brandt's Fertilizer was started in the spring of 1953 with an anhydrous ammonia facility located west of New Berlin at Island Grove.
1954
In 1954, a second facility was opened and operated out of the Brandt & Gardner Gas Station at the location of the Old Morris Midway Station at the junction of Farmingdale Road and Route 125. Bob Gardner, Glen Brandt, and Evelyn Thomas operated this facility.
This location was an Aylco dealership and received top honors for selling 137 tons of liquid fertilizer in the initial year. Bob Gardner also operated an automobile business at this location.
Area farmers were beginning to become more aware of fertilizer usage and were closely observing fertilized fields. The first fertilizer spreader truck was a 1949 REO. Oliver Brandt painted in February of 1955 for $42.50. Evelyn's office was a 6 x 10 foot room in the back of the station with only a hand cranked adding machine.
1955
In 1955, Brandt's traded their interest in the gas station to Bob Gardner for his interest in the fertilizer business. The liquid fertilizer tanks at the gas station were moved to the Richland Elevator Site. One tank was a railroad car double dome compartment tank that was moved to Richland and later moved to Pleasant Plains.
Glen was also farming and was in need of additional help, so Rolland Boesdorfer joined the company at this time as a spreader operator.
The office was then moved to the Brandt farm house five miles east of Pleasant Plains.
Gordon Thomas did the soil testing for customers at his home and made the required ASC soil test recommendations. Evelyn Thomas did the bookkeeping two nights a week while Gordon was teaching a Korean Veterans Ag class at Pleasant Plains High School.
1956
In order to provide some space for storage and maintenance of trucks and equipment, the Irwin (Hergenrother) Garage was purchased. One end of this building was remodeled after a few years (1967), and became the first location for the manufacturing location of ClawEl micronutrients.
1957
In 1957, Brandt's built a cold mix plant in Pleasant Plains and produced about 139 tons of liquid fertilizer. The operation was run from a chicken house which was moved from the Brandt farm. Personal friends Mutt and Hazel Mann who ran a gas station were order takers and left orders on a nail at the chicken house. Mutt warned that "when we got too big for the chicken house, the business would start going down hill".
A self-service liquid facility was installed in New Berlin between U & L Grain and Farmers Elevator.
Albert Brandt retired and sold his interest in the fertilizer business to Glen and Evelyn. A sale of all farm equipment was held January 8, 1957.
1959
The company was beginning to expand and was incorporated in 1959. Rolland Boesdorfer started a trucking operation which was complimentary to this growth.
On October 20, 1959, Bill Wallner joined the company and was contracted to be in charge of the distribution of agricultural limestone and dry fertilizers operating from a facility in downtown Ashland.
A self service liquid facility was built on Route 125 in Ashland on property south of the highway owned by Mutt and Hazel Mann.
1960
Another milestone was reached. In previous years, all employees and working owners were meagerly paid on a per-ton, per-acre, or a percentage of the profits, if and when there was a profit. This year Mildred Smith became the company's first salaried employee. Mildred retired in 1978.
OK Ammonia, the forerunner of Anamo was founded in August of 1960.
1961
In 1961, a liquid fertilizer plant was built in New Berlin near Route 36 at the site of the old jail. Frank Sommer managed this plant until a new and larger plant became necessary and was moved to the Island Grove location. Frank retired in 1991 after 30 years of dedicated service.
Plains Mobile Mill was acquired for grinding dry livestock feed on farm premises and became a distributor of MOREA liquid feeds. Ron Reliford was Operations Manager. Plains Mobile Mill was discontinued in 1968. The anhydrous site was built in Richland.
1962
All facets of the business continued to grow necessitating the building of a centralized accounting office. This 24 x 24 foot building was constructed at the site of the B&O railroad depot in Pleasant Plains.
In September of 1962, Albert Brandt was injured in a car-train accident in Ashland which subsequently caused his death in August of 1964 at the age of 74.
1963
Har Brand, a wholesale fertilizer manufacturing plant, was started by Virgil Harbach, Glen Brandt, and Evelyn Thomas.
1964
Brandt's outgrew the accounting office in Pleasant Plains and doubled the size of the building and added a soil laboratory with Gordon Thomas as Supervisor and Berneice Boesdorfer as Laboratory Technician.
Anamo Corporation, which handled anhydrous ammonia, was in existence from 1964 through 1968 with Brandt's Fertilizer Service being one of fifteen stockholders. In 1968, Anamo stock was traded for Mapco stock.
In August, Albert Brandt passed away at the age of 74.
1965
Parrish Fertilizer in Auburn, Illinois was purchased by a group of individuals. It was renamed Auburn Fertilizer and Chemical. Charles Chimento was elected as President and General Manager.
The fertilizer business owned by Archer Elevator was acquired.
The lime and dry storage facility in Ashland was moved to the North East edge of Ashland on land purchased from Jack Mahoney and a complete fertilizer plant was built. Harold Roberts was named manager. In 1994, he was named Retail Division Manager.
Precision Tank Company, Virginia was started to make fertilizer tanks and equipment. Glen Brandt was one of the stockholders. Dry trucks were purchased from Bill Wallner. He was Operations Manager for Brandt's until 1974 when he became President of the newly formed company, Great Northern Equipment.
1966
Poly P was incorporated. It owned three plants in Illinois producing ammoniated super phosphoric acid.
1967
Glen and Evelyn's interest in HARBRAND was dissolved and Brandt Chemical was formed, operating mainly in the southern part of the state with HARBRAND operating in the north part of the state.
Brandt Chemical began selling and manufacturing micronutrients nationally under the ClawEl trademark. Jack Herrin joined the company as National Sales Manager. Manufacturing was done in the old Irwin Garage and the office was at the corner of Main and Cartwright in downtown Pleasant Plains.
Jerry Stoller who formerly worked for Kaiser managed this entity from 1967 until September 30, 1970. Harry Wallner joined the company as a custom applicator and salesman, eventually heading Brandt Chemical's Wholesale department and later President of Brandt Chemical.
Glen Brandt was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Fertilizer Solutions Association.
1968
The Waverly cold mix plant was purchased from Wilbur Brown and was managed by Frank Miller.
On July 10, 1968, stock in Anamo Company and Poly P Incorporated was exchanged for Mapco stock on. There were fifteen stockholders.
Glen Brandt served as Treasurer of NF&A.
1969
In March, Glen Brandt received an eye injury from aqua ammonia. This caused numerous hospitalizations and treatments including cornea transplants, etc. over many years.
Fred Rice, a Certified Public Accountant, was added to the bookkeeping staff.
Glen sold his farm equipment to devote more time to other projects and because of the eye injury.
1970
Co-Pilots, Inc. owned a Cessna Super Skylane 206. Glen Brandt and Jack Herrin were both pilots and co-owners.
Glen Brandt was featured in an article in the April 1970 issue of Farm Chemicals as "Independent on the Move".
Joan Schatz was named Manager of ClawEl Micronutrient Division until December 1986.
1971
A solutions terminal was built on the river at Meredosia because Brandt's recognized the need for increased speed in transporting fertilizer from major manufacturers to the suppliers. There were four 90,000 gallon tanks and two 30,000 gallon tanks. Now there are three one million gallon tanks and four half-million gallon tanks.
1972
The Pleasant Plains liquid plant was moved from the city location to the West side of town.
Glen Brandt was elected President of the National Fertilizer Solutions Association (NFSA).
1973
The Pleasant Plains facility was built at the West side of town next to the liquid plant. This provided space for all of the accounting needs, a corporate meeting area, lunch room and several offices.
ThomBran Residential Subdivision was developed North of this area to provide 45 home sites.
1974
Great Northern Equipment, a Springfield manufacturer of fertilizer equipment, was purchased from George Schmidt and Mark Craft by a group of individuals. Bill Wallner was elected President. Great Northern produced fertilizer equipment from 1974 until 1986 and later sold inventory, etc. to Precision Tank and Equipment. The land and building were leased to the State of Illinois. The property was sold in January 1999.
Brandt Chemical sold all of its stock of Con-Serv-Co., Inc., a credit reporting service to Neal Cooper Grain Co. in April.
1975
The ClawEl manufacturing plant was moved from the Irwin Garage to the area north of the retail fertilizer office. Herb Altman was hired as Manager.
Westlake Fertilizer (1966-1975) at Curran was purchased by Auburn Fertilizer and Brandt Fertilizer. It was later acquired by Brandt's Fertilizer.
MidStates Warehouse was acquired by various individuals associated with the fertilizer industry. Rich Blakely was named Manager and Harry Wallner elected President. Midstate Warehouse stores dry fertilizer for various fertilizer suppliers in Central Illinois, mainly potash for Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.
1976
Brandt's purchased an interest in Parkinson Copters of Warrensburg and built a Heliport in Pleasant Plains. We later sold our interest back to Parkinson. Evelyn Thomas participated as a panelist in the NFSA's first ladies workshops at both the Southeast Fluid Fertilizer Conference held in Albany, Georgia and the 22nd National Convention held in Kansas City.
1977
Trace Chemicals was incorporated by Brandt Chemical, Gary Grossweiler, and Roy Cramer.
1978
The fertilizer plant at Prentice was purchased from Art Anderson. There was dry fertilizer and anhydrous ammonia at this location. The Prentice location was closed in 1998.
Glen Brandt was named "Man of the Year" at the NFSA convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Glen has served on 49 NFSA committees, was Treasurer in 1968, President in 1972, Board of Directors for seven years, and chaired six committees and task forces.
On May 5, Glen Brandt and Roy Baker organized a group to purchase Springfield Plastics which manufacturers plastic field tile. It is located in Auburn.
Bill Wallner, President of Great Northern Equipment Co. was elected Treasurer of N.F. S.A. and Finance Committee.
1979
On April 15 (Easter Sunday), the levee at Meredosia broke flooding our Meredosia terminal.
1980
Agri-Stills was organized to make alcohol from grain primarily to be used in gasoline. The owners were Precision Tank and Equipment, Brandt Chem, Great Northern Equipment Co., and the Mavis family.
1981
Mac Mont Fertilizer and Grain, located in Girard and Thomasville, was purchased by Brandt Chemical, Auburn Fertilizer and Chemical, Richard Whalen and Ray Landers from the Shutt Estate. Larry Jackson was named Manager. This operation was closed in 1985.
Brandt-Barnett Chem. Co. of Omaha, Nebraska, was started by Brandt Chemical and Don Barnett. This company was a wholesaler and manufacturer of micronutrients. Brandt Chem sold their share to Don Barnett in 1987.
1982
MBD, a group of Brandt and Davidsmeyer individuals, was incorporated and located at Meredosia with the purchase of an aqua converter and a water deionizer. MBD manufacturers aqua ammonia for the industrial market.
Harry Wallner was elected President of National Fertilizer Solutions Association (NFSA).
Kennedy Fertilizer was purchased in July 1982 and sold to Chandlerville Grain in 1984. Stockholders were Rolland Boesdorfer, John Kennedy, Frank Sommer, Glen Brandt, Evelyn Thomas, and Harry Wallner.
1983
This was the year of the PIK (Payment-In-Kind) causing a reduction in sale of fertilizer and agricultural chemicals. The federal government's Payment-In-Kind program reduced planted acreage because of a large surplus of grain. Farmers were issued certificates for grain that could be sold or redeemed in the market.
1984
In 1984, the Alexander location was built and operated as a satellite of the New Berlin plant.
Ground was owned by Spencer Sommer. This installation was sold in 1988.
1985
Mac Mont Fertilizer and Grain's sale was March 9, 1985. Glen Brandt was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation.
1986
In August, Gary Grossweiler, President of Trace Chemicals was named CEO of Brandt Consolidated, Inc.
Herb Altman was hired as the Manager of ClawEl Division.
In January 1986, Brandt's Fertilizer purchased 135 acres from Commonwealth Edison west of the office in Pleasant Plains.
The operation of Great Northern Equipment Co. in Springfield was discontinued and the building was leased to the State of Illinois. All inventory and equipment was sold to Precision Equipment.
1987
October 19, 1987 was "Black Monday". The Dow dropped 508.81 points. Dow high in August at 2722, the low in October at 1739.
1988
The Alexander location was closed.
The downtown New Berlin facility was moved to the Island Grove location in the fall and a new modern facility was constructed. John Allen was named Manager.
1989
Auburn Fertilizer & Chemical was merged with Brandt's Fertilizer.
Harold Roberts was appointed Retail Division Manager.
Harry Wallner passed away on July 19 and Al Mallicoat became Wholesale Division Manager.
The fertilizer operation of Anderson Fertilizer, Oakford, was leased and rolling stock purchased. Garrett Savage was named Manager. C.H. "Cokey" Godfrey became the Marketing Advisor.
Rolland Boesdorfer, Frank Sommer, and Roberta Wallner sold their stock in Brandt Chemical and Brandt's Fertilizer Service.
1990
Brandt's Fertilizer Service, Inc. and Brandt Chem Co., Inc. were renamed Brandt Consolidated, Inc. on February 1, 1990.
The Ashland plant was rebuilt and modernized to conform with the new E.P.A. and various regulatory restrictions.
Dow hits 3000
1991
On February 1, Clayton Point Fertilizer was merged into Brandt Consolidated. Clayton Point has a facility at Franklin and Pisgah. Dick Stiltz continued as Manager.
In October, Rick Brandt joined the company. He was named President and CEO in 1995. In the same month, Margaret Brandt passed away at the age of 93 years and 10 months.
The ClawEl Division built an addition to the manufacturing plant and added an office complex.
December 1991, Brandt Consolidated purchased 45 acres from ThomBran.
1992
Vigoro's installation at Tallula was purchased and was closed except for maintaining an office.
A new office was built at Waverly and the plant was modernized in keeping up with the new regulations.
The Franklin plant purchased a liquid soil selection truck with GPs (Global Positioning System). The Dow was 3422.
1993
Tom Gustafson joined the company as Credit Manager. 1993 was the year of the great flood of the Midwest.
1994
The Greenview location was purchased from Norman and Yvonne Horn. Norman stayed on as Manager. Trace Chemicals was sold to Gustafson, a Division of Uniroyal.
1995
Cockrell Station in Curran, IL was built by Brandt Consolidated, Inc. and Consolidated Grain & Barge. Harold Roberts passed away on June 14. Paul Theilen passed away on August 10.
1996
Commander Fertilizer was formed. Brandt Consolidated, Inc. purchased land from Thom-Bran.
1997
Dick Stiltz resigned and Neal Haarmann was named manager of the Franklin plant.
1998
Charles Chimento retired December 31, 1998. The Dow was 9190.
1999
A tornado hit Ashland in April. Approximately fifty homes and businesses were affected.
The Prentice location was closed.
Dow reached 11,366 on August 24, 1999.
2000
Waverly plant was merged with Auburn plant
Land was donated in the Forest View Subdivision for the construction of a firehouse.
Raymond fertilizer was purchased from Himes Enterprises on October 31.
Brandt Consolidated awarded National Ag Retailer of the Year by the Ag Retailer's Association.
Pleasant Plains High School won both the Class A state basketball and baseball tournaments.
2001
Curran installation merged with Island Grove.
Two-thirds of the stock of Agra-Chem, Avon Park, Florida was purchased August 13. Joe Murphy is one-third owner and President.
Fertilizer complex including office being built in Raymond.
On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon were hit in a terrorist attack by hijacked commercial airplanes.
On September 17, 2001, Dow dropped 684 points - the biggest drop in history. In September, 2001, Dow dropped 1,369.70 in one week - the biggest one-week drop in history - down to 8,235.81.
The Brandt Consolidated Board was expanded to include De Willard, Robert Walbaum, Roy Baker and Jack Stoldt. Joe Brummel was named Consultant.
Shares of the Roberts Family Trust were sold and Betty Jo Roberts resigned as Director.
The Dow on December 31, 2001 was 10,021.50
2002
January 2002: Brandt Consolidated acquired certain assets of Parkway Research Corporation in Houston, Texas.
On July 1, 2002 Brandt Consolidated purchased Sloan Fertilizer in Lincoln, Illinois.
The anhydrous ammonia site in Virginia was opened in August 2002.
Brandt Consolidated purchased Galesville Chemical in October 2002.
2003
The Waverly plant was closed and merged with the Franklin plant.
2004
The operations of the Pleasant Plains plant and Ashland plant were merged with both locations remaining open.
2005
August 23, 2005 Brandt Consolidated broke ground on a new corporate headquarters in Springfield, Illinois.
Summer 2005: an 18,000 square foot warehouse addition was constructed for the ClawEl division in Pleasant Plains.
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