Back to news
June 5, 2003
On June 5, 2003 Wilbur-Ellis Company purchased Barnett Chemicals Australia, a chemical distribution business headquartered in Brisbane, Australia.
“The Barnett Chemicals Australia operations are very complimentary to our existing chemical distribution businesses in Australia and New Zealand, which were started in 1998, and to the entire Pacific Rim network,” said Wilbur-Ellis Company President and Chief Executive Officer Herbert B. Tully in announcing the acquisition. “Barnett Chemicals serves Australian customers with a broad range of specialty chemicals for a variety of industrial uses. They maintain operations in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.”
In the joint announcement, Gary Wolff, Managing Director of Barnett Chemicals, confirmed the importance of aligning his organization with Wilbur-Ellis Company. “Having Barnett and Wilbur-Ellis Company working together provides us with the critical mass that we need to grow our position in Australia and New Zealand. This association will provide us access to additional products, suppliers and customers and enable us to focus on providing services to our customers in the Australian markets. We are very pleased to be a member of the Wilbur-Ellis family of companies.”
Barnett Chemicals will continue to be managed by Gary Wolff and key employees including Malcolm Spence and Wayne Greaves. Mark Robinson, Andrew Swindell and the rest of the current team will also remain. Barnett Chemicals will be an operating unit of the Connell Bros. division of Wilbur-Ellis Company, reporting to Connell Bros. President, Ted Eliot. Connell Bros. is headquartered in San Francisco.
Commenting on the acquisition, Eliot noted that, “Barnett Chemicals and Wilbur-Ellis Australia and New Zealand together give us a strong position in specialty chemicals distribution in the two markets and significantly enhance our ability to expand our business.”
Founded in 1921 and with total sales exceeding $1.2 billion, Wilbur-Ellis Company specializes in the marketing, distribution and formulation of crop protection products, fertilizers and animal feedstuffs. Through its Connell Bros. And Animal Feed divisions, Wilbur-Ellis exports industrial chemicals, minerals and fibers and certain animal feedstuffs throughout the Pacific Rim.
For more information, please visit www.wilburellis.com