ABB Grain Limited
Encyclopedia
ABB Grain was Australia
's largest agribusiness
. Founded in 1939, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
until its takeover by Viterra
in 2009. Until recently, the company focused solely on grain
accumulation and marketing. It expanded its focus to other activities, such as grain receival and storage
, malt
ing and fertilisers. ABB buys grain from all growing regions in Australia and trades in all grain commodities.
n storage and handling company AusBulk and the holding company United Grower Holdings. This brought the control of the two major grain handlers, along with several of AusBulk's divisions.
Since its merger with AusBulk, ABB’s supply chain has involved operations in storage and handling and logistics
. This includes a significant network of silo
s and export shipping terminals in South Australia and the eastern states of Australia, incorporating joint ownership of Australian Bulk Alliance, or ABA, with Japan
ese trading company Sumitomo
.
ABB’s malting division, Joe White Maltings, is Australia's largest producer of malt with the capacity to produce 500,000 tonne
s per annum. The eight malting plants located across Australia include the largest malthouse in the southern hemisphere
, situated in Perth
, Western Australia
.
The company also provides rural services including fertiliser and agrichemical
supply and wool
and livestock
activities. The latter have been supported by the acquisitions of Adelaide Wool Company, Wardle Co and Stawool in 2007.
The company also has significant operations in New Zealand
focused on the trading and distribution of grains and protein
s. In 2007, ABB established a joint venture
in Ukraine
with French
malting company Soufflet to accumulate grain, manage supply chain activities and market grain.
On 19 May 2009 it was announced that ABB would be acquired by Viterra
, the largest grain handler in Canada
in September 2009, if voted ahead by the shareholders. The Head Office would be relocated to Regina
, with the worldwide malting headquarters remaining in Adelaide. The two companies together are responsible for 37 percent of the world's exports of wheat, canola and barley.
On 28 July 2009, Managing Director Michael Iwaniw announced his immediate resignation.
On 9 September 2009, shareholders voted in favour of the merger with Viterra.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's largest agribusiness
Agribusiness
In agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term for the various businesses involved in food production, including farming and contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales....
. Founded in 1939, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
Australian Securities Exchange
The Australian Securities Exchange was created by the merger of the Australian Stock Exchange and the Sydney Futures Exchange in July 2006. It is the primary stock exchange group in Australia....
until its takeover by Viterra
Viterra
Viterra Inc. is a leading global agri-business with extensive operations in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. With a growing international presence that includes trading and marketing offices on four continents, Viterra delivers high quality nutritious food ingredients to more...
in 2009. Until recently, the company focused solely on grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
accumulation and marketing. It expanded its focus to other activities, such as grain receival and storage
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
, malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
ing and fertilisers. ABB buys grain from all growing regions in Australia and trades in all grain commodities.
History
ABB traces its origins to the former Australian Barley Board, and due to the company's expanded operations into different areas, it demutualised to become ABB Grain on 1 July 1999. In 2004, ABB merged with the South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n storage and handling company AusBulk and the holding company United Grower Holdings. This brought the control of the two major grain handlers, along with several of AusBulk's divisions.
Since its merger with AusBulk, ABB’s supply chain has involved operations in storage and handling and logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
. This includes a significant network of silo
Silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.Silo may also refer to:* Silo , a 3D modeling software* Silo , a defunct chain of retail electronics stores* SILO , used in Linux...
s and export shipping terminals in South Australia and the eastern states of Australia, incorporating joint ownership of Australian Bulk Alliance, or ABA, with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese trading company Sumitomo
Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide trading company , and is a diversified corporation. Sumitomo is headquartered in the Harumi Island Triton Square Office Tower Y in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan...
.
ABB’s malting division, Joe White Maltings, is Australia's largest producer of malt with the capacity to produce 500,000 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s per annum. The eight malting plants located across Australia include the largest malthouse in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, situated in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The company also provides rural services including fertiliser and agrichemical
Agrichemical
Agrochemical , a contraction of agricultural chemical, is a generic term for the various chemical products used in agriculture. In most cases, agrichemical refers to the broad range of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides...
supply and wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
activities. The latter have been supported by the acquisitions of Adelaide Wool Company, Wardle Co and Stawool in 2007.
The company also has significant operations in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
focused on the trading and distribution of grains and protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s. In 2007, ABB established a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
with French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
malting company Soufflet to accumulate grain, manage supply chain activities and market grain.
On 19 May 2009 it was announced that ABB would be acquired by Viterra
Viterra
Viterra Inc. is a leading global agri-business with extensive operations in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. With a growing international presence that includes trading and marketing offices on four continents, Viterra delivers high quality nutritious food ingredients to more...
, the largest grain handler in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in September 2009, if voted ahead by the shareholders. The Head Office would be relocated to Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, with the worldwide malting headquarters remaining in Adelaide. The two companies together are responsible for 37 percent of the world's exports of wheat, canola and barley.
On 28 July 2009, Managing Director Michael Iwaniw announced his immediate resignation.
On 9 September 2009, shareholders voted in favour of the merger with Viterra.