TRADE ASSOCIATE MEMBER UPDATE

AMVAC CHEMICAL CORPORATION

Parent company, American Vanguard, named to Forbes List of America’s 200 Best Small Companies

Mike Herrington, an AMVAC technical sales representative based in Winter Haven, talks to a potential customer at the recent Ag Expo.

AMVAC Chemical Corp., a subsidiary of American Vanguard, was named number 136 on the list, published in the October 27 issue of Forbes. (http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/23/biz_200smalls08_The-200-Best-Small-Companies_Rank_6.html) 

Upon receiving the news, Eric Wintemute, president and CEO of American Vanguard, stated, “Our company’s recognition as one of ‘America’s Best 200 Small Companies’ demonstrates the strength of our business in the domestic market and our very successful expansion in international markets. It is a distinction that makes all of us at American Vanguard very proud.”

AMVAC, the agriculture chemical division of American Vanguard, differs from other chemical companies in that it has created a market for itself by acquiring and marketing mature products that are no longer a priority for the larger manufacturers who originally developed them.

These products include insecticides, fungicides, molluscicides, plant growth regulators and soil fumigants. AMVAC’s products are sold throughout the United States and in various foreign countries under either its own name or those of its customers.

“One main focus we’ve had for the Florida market is the Vapam and K-Pam fumigants that are replacements for methyl bromide,” said Mike Herrington, an AMVAC technical sales representative based in Winter Haven. “By 2010, methyl bromide should be pretty much out of the picture and the growers are going to have to learn to farm with alternatives. Vapam and K-Pam are key components that should be the basis for fumigation in the future,” Herrington said. The fumigant methyl bromide is being phased out because it has been labeled as an ozone-depleting substance. Production has been decreasing and the price increasing over the last few years during the phase-out.  “Growers not only need to find a successful replacement but also an affordable one and that is where Vapam and K-Pam fit in.”

Herrington says AMVAC does well acquiring and providing needed products to its customers, including those in Florida, but is on a growth curve to compete at a higher level. “The move toward methyl bromide alternatives is going to be very big in Florida. It’s occupies a lot of my time; providing the research, the application equipment, and the technology on how to make some of these alternatives better and comparable with the results growers had with methyl bromide,” he said. “The challenge we face is to help growers make the transition by working with university researchers and with the growers to make this all come about so they can continue to successfully farm in the future. It’s a transition time for the industry and we’re trying to make it easier for everybody, but there is a lot to learn about alternative fumigation,” Herrington said.

Herrington says AMVAC also has acquired a product for sugarcane. “Thimet, a granular soil insecticide that is very effective for controlling wireworm,” he said.   To go along with Thimet, Amvac has introduced its SmartBox delivery system.  This is a totally closed unit that provides increased safety for handlers and applicators.

Amvac is also proud to introduce a new, soft-chemistry insecticide for Florida growers.  “Ecozin Plus is an interesting product because the chemical, azadirachtin exists naturally in the neem trees of India. It has the organic label and when used in a program can provide repellency and control of pests like whiteflies, thrips and leaf miners. It can be used across a broad spectrum of vegetables including tomatoes, peppers and strawberries,” said Herrington.

Amvac is also entering the citrus market with a product that fights psyllids, the insect that spreads the citrus greening disease. “Because the cost of spraying for psyllids is so high, we’re working with the University of Florida and some of the larger growers to develop our product Dibrom 8 that can be applied in very small quantities. It can be applied in ultra low volume (ULV) when used with the right equipment,” said Herrington. “Our product Dibrom 8 fits right into this type of program because it was originally designed for mosquito control which is where it is still being used in FL and the SE.”

To contact Herrington, call (863) 291-4637 or email him at MikeH@amvac.net. Learn more about AMVAC and American Vanguard at http://www.amvac-chemical.com/.