A brief history of IPF
The fertiliser distribution business, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF) was sold to Ridleys in May 2025.
Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL) recently changed its name to Dyno Nobel in April 2025. Dyno Nobel Limited was acquired by IPL back in 2008. The recent name change to Dyno Nobel Limited was a strategic move to concentrate on the explosives business in readiness to offload the fertiliser business.
Pivot Limited and Incitec Fertilisers merged in 2003 to create IPL and three years later the company’s fertiliser production capacity more than doubled with the purchase of Southern Cross Fertiliser.
IPF boasts a long, proud history within the fertiliser industry. Incitec Pivot’s first direct decendant company, Australian Co-operative Fertilizers commenced in Toowoomba, Queensland in 1915. Australian Fertilizers Ltd formed in 1920 in NSW and took over the SSP operations of the Elliot brothers (1862). Meanwhile, its Victorian counterpart Pivot Limited was formed in 1918, creating The Phosphate Co-operative Company of Australia Limited in 1919.
The Phosphate Hill mining and ammonia site also has a long history as it awaits the next chapter in a potential sale of closure in 2025.
The ammonia processing plant was built by Western Mining Corporation (WMC) in 1999. In June 2005, BHP Billiton acquired WMC. The $9.2 billion acquisition of WMC Resources resulted in the world’s largest miner acquiring its Queensland Fertiliser Operations (QFO) and a one-third stake in Hi-Fert. QFO sold about 40 per cent of its production to Incitec Pivot.
The Phosphate Hill mine and associated phosphate fertiliser production business in South of Mt Isa in Queensland, which became known as Southern Cross Fertilisers (following the BHP Billiton takeover); and Hi Fert, a blending and distribution network supporting Australia’s eastern states. In Dec 2005 the ELF Australia joint venture announced the purchase of the 33.3% BHP Billiton share of Hi Fert Pty Ltd. HiFert’s parent company, ELF Australia, is a 50:50 joint venture between Elders and Landmark Rural Holdings.
This acquisition gave ELF 100% ownership of Hi Fert. ELF Australia is a 50/50 joint venture between Landmark (a wholly owned subsidiary of AWB Limited) and Elders (a wholly owned subsidiary of Futuris Corporation). In 2009 Elders and AWB put the Hi-Fert business up for sale with large write downs.
BHP Billiton also sold Southern Cross Fertilisers to Incitec Pivot in May 2006.
In Aug 2011 Ameropa Holding AG (through its subsidiaries Impact Fertilisers Pty Ltd and Impact Fertilisers Australia Pty Ltd) moved to acquire the assets of Hi-Fert Pty Ltd, a deal that would ensure Impact’s fertiliser distribution presence in the local market. It had to fight off WengFu who were looking to enter the market, at a time when others had failed in the Fertiliser distribution business like South Fert, AB Grin and Direct Fert.
