Since its inception, Wilbur-Ellis has played the long game to advance the North American agriculture industry
Grounded in trust and partnership for over 100 years, Wilbur-Ellis is a leading marketer, distributor and manufacturer of agricultural products and specialty chemicals. The company’s deep expertise in pest management, soil health, organics, sustainability, digital solutions and water management helps its customers achieve their goals. The company is dedicated to supporting its communities, businesses and the environment through quality products and technical expertise. Heather Messer, Vice President of US Operations, discusses the strategies that have been driving Wilbur-Ellis’ success for over a century.
“We are a family-owned North American agriculture company, started in San Francisco in 1921. Since then, we have grown throughout most of the US, still owned by the Wilbur family, with around 2400 employees across the country and a few locations in Canada.
Investing for the future
“Our focus is on agricultural inputs, helping farmers get crops in the ground and bring in a good harvest. My role sits on the agriculture retail side of the business, where I handle operations throughout the US with a direct line to all our hubs as well as freight logistics and transportation. Additionally, I have indirect oversight of what we call freedom to operate functions, which include things like safety, environmental compliance and driver standards. We make sure those are applied consistently across every part of the business, whether or not they fall under my direct line of supervision,” Heather begins.
Over its 105-year long history, Wilbur-Ellis has built a legacy that few agricultural businesses can match, facilitated by the Wilbur family’s long-term commitment to the North American agricultural industry. Of course, agriculture is not an easy business; it has its ups and downs, and the past few years have been particularly tough for those connected to the industry. Nonetheless, family ownership has consistently allowed the company to take the longer view and has been paramount in its success.
One recent manifestation of Wilbur-Ellis’ long-term thinking is a significant investment at its Woodland, California hub. “Originally, we had two smaller California locations: one in Woodland and one in Dixon,” Heather informs. “After recognizing that this was an area where we had very good farmer partnerships, we sought to make sure we were there for the long haul. Therefore, we acquired a facility that was being sold by another company and transformed it by building a brand-new warehouse and operational space, upgrading the maintenance and asset management facilities for our field services and maintenance crews, and constructing a state-of-the-art liquid fertilizer facility with blending capabilities and automation. We also took advantage of the greenhouses on site to create a research space specifically for our branded technology and products. This space is complete with labs and growing facilities to develop the next generation of solutions that will help our farmers get the most yield possible from each of their fields. I believe that the creation of the research space and our adoption of automation to blend liquid fertilizer are a testament to how forward-looking we are as a company,” Heather expands.
Embracing automation
The automation of liquid fertilizer blending has been one of the most meaningful operational transformations in recent years for Wilbur-Ellis. Just 20 years ago, blending at a typical North American agricultural facility was an almost entirely manual process in which drivers and operators measured and combined nitrogen and other specific products, working with pumps and levers and relying heavily on individual skill and judgment. Naturally, some people were better at it than others, risking inconsistent results. In Wilbur-Ellis’ current facilities, automation handles all that work, opening and closing valves with precision, delivering exactly the right quantity of each nutrient, whether that is a core input like nitrogen or a trace element like boron that requires only a tiny amount. This has resulted in greater accuracy and precision in the blending process, as well as greater flexibility given that a single facility can now serve a variety of crops. For instance, a location can produce wheat mixes one day and then switch to a completely different apple-specific formulation the next, using some of the same base inputs but tailored precisely to the crop’s requirements.
Embracing automation to enhance consistency has also enabled the launch of one of the company’s most exciting recent products: BenVireo® TerraLux™, a liquid organic fertilizer brought to market in mid-2025. “Immediately, we were met with a lot of customer demand,” Heather recalls. “The organic market is growing considerably, particularly on the West Coast, where fresh produce, like fruits and vegetables heading straight to market, is a major focus. However, handling organic products is quite different on the operations side, so we have had to shift our approach. We needed to ensure separate storage, separate blending systems, and separate processes to make sure the product is kept to the standard it deserves. It has required real adjustment operationally, but it has been a fun challenge for us to take on. Watching farmers adopt the product and seeing the demand for it grow has been incredibly rewarding.”
Committed to culture
Beyond its commercial operations, Wilbur-Ellis has also made valuable contributions to the culture of the agricultural industry as a whole, particularly when it comes to supporting women in the sector. In 2012, the company launched an internal business resource group called Women of Wilbur-Ellis. “We established this program because we recognized that women play a significant role in agriculture, both as farmers and as key decision-makers. We knew we needed a sales force and leadership teams that could better connect with the people shaping decisions across the industry. So, we started partnering with organizations like Women in Agriculture, which support women in agriculture, including those interested in advancing their careers into leadership roles. We send 20-30 employees to the Women in Agribusiness Annual Summit each year to network, receive mentoring and explore leadership opportunities. There is still more progress to be made, and we look forward to future opportunities for our employees,” Heather concludes.
Throughout its history, Wilbur-Ellis has stayed ahead of the curve by prioritizing long-term thinking over short-term gains. Whether investing in state-of-the-art facilities like Woodland, expanding innovative offerings such as BenVireo® TerraLux™, or building a more representative and inclusive workforce through initiatives like Women of Wilbur-Ellis, the company continues to strengthen its position for the future.
