Sackett-Waconia is a diversified manufacturer of equipment for the fertilizer industry. Founded in 1897, the company offers high-quality systems in a wide range of solutions, from production plants (granulation, compaction, coating) to terminals and warehouses (high-speed receiving and loadout), and retail/wholesale bulk blending plants. New AG International reached out to Kelvin Feist, director of sales and marketing to learn more.
Let's begin with the significant milestone the company reached last year – 125 years. Please give us a walk-through of the history of the company – what it started doing and how it evolved into the company that it is today.
The company has had an incredible journey dating back to the late 1800s. The business started with crushing of materials to free up nutrients and transitioned into granulation systems to create primary fertilizers such as MAP, SSP, AMS and NPK products. Blending of fertilizer materials was another milestone in our industry that started in the 1960s. Mixing fertilizers enabled farmers to apply nutrients based on their crop needs in the form of a “prescription blend” rather than applying fertilizer based on the nutrient makeup of the fertilizer. As soil and tissue testing gained popularity, the demand for a more accurate and specific blends evolved. Sackett-Waconia currently offers numerous blending options to meet the specific field needs for not only macronutrients (NPKS), but also additions of micronutrients, biologicals and soil enhancement technologies.
Your sales come from various pieces of equipment – blenders, elevators, conveyors, granulation technology, etc. What is the approximate split between these items, and has that changed over the years?Our business has transitioned its approach based on changing customer needs. Manual blending was a mainstay in the industry for many years. We have seen a decline in the demand for the older blending technology, such as vertical or rotary systems. These systems tend to be slower and provide inferior mixing capabilities, especially with value-add technologies. Many retailers are seeking a “system” that can not only quickly and accurately blend fertilizer, but a fertilizer system that has integrated data platforms that can make the order process seamless. We can offer real time inventory from a certified scale system, utilization of predictive and preventative maintenance that improve plant reliability and efficiency. The automation can also monitor production runs, lot numbers, batch numbers, etc. when integrated with a bagging line(s). Wireless management provides real time information for remote users, which can help reduce labour. We look at our business as three categories of equipment: precision blending; process equipment meaning granulation and engineered solutions; and conveying and transfer equipment which includes bulk terminals, etc.
Precision blending is our largest segment. We offer two system categories with many configurations (either vertical in a tower or horizontal in an Accublend system) that qualify as PFB or Precision Fertilizer Blending. Our flagship is our HIM blending system for the best blend quality in the industry as well as an Orbital blending option. Processing systems like granulation are seeing some growth in recent years with opportunities to granulate manures, by/co-products and food waste. We have a full team of engineering and design experts to create custom solutions for almost any medium. Finally, our company is known for high quality transfer and conveying equipment that has very good durability and longevity. We specialize in equipment that is 200 tonnes per hour (tph) to as much as 1500 tph.
In terms of overseas sales, what are your key markets? Sackett-Waconia has a global customers base that seek us out for our engineering expertise and quality equipment. We have developed many very good relationships around the world that we want to continue to support into the future. When we evaluate opportunities, we look at the type of system and our ability to meet customer needs. Our Accublend technology has become very popular in applications that require complex blends (usually with liquid or powder additives) to bagging lines and still want speed to move significant volumes of fertilizer daily (bulk or bags). A significant amount of our business is in North America, and Latin America including the Caribbean.
The Latin America market is important to Sackett-Waconia; indeed, you have strategicpartner Sackett do Brasil. Whathas driven this trend to the Latin America market? For more than 40 years, Sackett-Waconia has been a leader in the supply of equipment for fertilizer terminals and blending plants in Latin America. We have been pioneers with the introduction of Precision Fertilizer Blending (PFB) in the region, technology that has been adopted by all the primary fertilizer companies in the region. Latin America continues to be a growing market for Sackett-Waconia. Our product offering fits well in this geography. Fertilizer bagging is very popular in the area with almost no bulk application equipment in the area. A uniform mix of ingredients is required inside every bag. The superior batch blend capability that a HIM or Orbital blender delivers, will ensure a grower is getting the properly proportioned nutrition for his developing plants.
Brazil is a significant and important agriculture market that helps feed the world. Their fertilizer market has rapidly evolved to meet the crop needs of the area. Based on the fertilizer growth and changing needs, Sackett do Brasil was formed to provide the Brazilian market with engineering and fertilizer process and blending equipment. Since 2007, this partnership allows us to bring state of the art systems and equipment to the fertilizer distributors in this region.
When it comes to fertilizer blenders, one blender is pretty similar to another, isn't it? I was in the fertilizer distribution business for many years before I fully understood the differences in blend quality. Twenty or 30 years ago, blending used to be about mixing two to four dry granular ingredients together. Today, there is so much more that is required to meet a “prescription” blend (which could have more than 10 ingredients) for a farmer. The first consideration is the action within the blender. Our PFB line of blenders maximize the movement of granules inside the mixers to blend faster and more effectively. As an example, our flagship HIM blender has integrated paddles that have every granular particle in motion during the mixing process; this allows integration of a liquid additive in as little as 10 seconds. The PFB designed to paddles or baffles eliminate any “dead spots or pockets of unmixed materials”.
Older technology is challenged by uniform application of liquid and powders. Even some of our newer technology such as declining weight can layer, then mix granule products but struggles with the perfect application of liquids and powders. The Orbital or HIM mixers success’ in terms of speed and effectiveness are the result of significant research and development focused on fertilizer bulk blending.
There are so many companies offering additives (inhibitors, enhancers, micronutrients, biologics, etc.) to dry granular fertilizers. The quickest, easiest way to the market appears to be either in a liquid or
powder format. We don’t know who or what products will become mainstream in the coming years. We do, however, know our precision blenders can not only accommodate these products but will provide the best possible distribution within each batch of blended fertilizer now and into the future.
Sackett-Waconia has a long-list of patents. Could you provide a couple of examples that were groundbreaking for the processing industry? We are proud that Sackett-Waconia has led the industry with over 100 patents for equipment and technology that has moved the fertilizer industry forward. One of the first patents (1897/1898) by Augustus Sackett was for a crusher used to pulverize oyster and crab shells used in the production of fertilizers at the time. This really was the launch for Sackett in the fertilizer industry. Many of our patents have been related to the technology of the time. Weighing and blending systems (early 1900s) for organic products (oyster shells, phosphate rock, bones, bird guano, etc.). Later it was technology related to granulation including "the Star" granulator and other products and processes relating to chemical granulation.
You have a new water-soluble blender. Can you talk us through its key points, and any innovative features? Soluble fertilizer use is growing in popularity in many areas of the world. Similar to dry blends in a bagging scenario, it is critical to have an accurate blend for soluble fertilizer. Soluble mixtures involve the mixing of powdered, crystalline or micro-granulated raw materials together with liquids inputs. This scenario is the perfect setting for our HIM mixer – it provides the highest homogenous blend, which is a critical factor in a superior soluble system. At this time, Sackett-Waconia is the only company that has a "system" designed, tested and improved for over 20 years for precision blending and packaging of water-soluble fertilizers. The dosing of micro and trace elements that are added in very small amounts to each batch is perfectly achieved with the Accublend concept.
A unique differentiating characteristic of our system is that all the raw materials are re-conditioned so that their original physical characteristics are restored prior to their dosing and blending.
In April 2022, PVS Chemicals acquired Sackett-Waconia. What does this mean for the company?PVS is a family-owned organization based in Detroit, Michigan. They are a great fit for our organization with similar cultures focused on safety and sustainability. We have continued with our strong customer focus and our strategy to supply quality, engineered systems for the fertilizer industry.
And finally, what equipment or innovations are coming down the track that you can tell us about, possibly regarding combining biologicals with granules?There are a number of trends in recent years that will continue to drive changes to fertilizer equipment. The first trend we are seeing is consolidation. With this industry change, we see more of a “hub and spoke” with larger, more capable systems that are automated, efficient and are significantly faster than older systems. Labour shortages are also common these days, newer systems require fewer employees despite the additional capacity. Our smart blending technology offers customers innovation beyond the equipment. The concept includes significant automation of the equipment components, along with system support to improve reliability.
Another trend is the addition of products being applied to granular fertilizer. More nitrogen inhibitors to feed plants when they need nutrients, other products that enhance or improve uptake of specific essential nutrients, and finally the biologicals. This trend is driving application of multiple liquid or powders on dry fertilizer blends. Accurate, uniform application is critical to the efficacy of these new inputs. Sustainable agriculture and the 4Rs philosophy for fertility is here to stay in modern agriculture. Smart blending technology and Precision Fertilizer Blending are two areas that Sackett-Waconia will continue to support and drive innovation in the ag input chain. ●
Kelvin Feist, director of sales and marketing, Sackett-Waconia
The Norwood Young America location is Sackett-Waconia’s headquarters. The site features office space, a machine shop and manufacturing floor.
The Baltimore Location has been home to The A.J. Sackett & Sons offices and manufacturing facility since 1900. The facility includes offices, a machine shop, manufacturing floor and R&D lab.
Sackett do Brasil is located in Araxá, and includes offices, machining, and manufacturing.
The PFB line of blenders has paddles orbaffles to eliminate any “dead spots or pockets of unmixed materials”
