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Israel’s Haifa Group chemical and fertilizer manufacturer is set to expand into America.
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While much has been reported in recent years about all the new Israeli companies which have brought millions in investment to their country through buy outs and IPOs, some more established Israeli firms have actually been expanding outside of the country, sending capital in the other direction.
Now Israel’s Haifa Group, which manufactures fertilizers for agriculture and chemicals for the food industry, has announced plans to build a new controlled-release fertilizer manufacturing facility in Savanah, Georgia. The company will invest a reported $12 million in the new plant which will create about twenty new jobs.
The investment was announced by Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal at the end of a five day trip that he took to Israel last week. The visit was part of an effort to encourage stronger economic ties between that country and his state.
Before he left Israel Governor Deal said, “This new plant serves as a testament to the strength of Georgia’s advanced agriculture technology industry. We fully expect that this new production facility will help establish our state as a center of advanced fertilizer technology, with farmers, nursery owners and professional turf experts across the country asking for our products.”
The Georgia Governor was in Israel with a delegation of Georgian officials and business leaders who met with that country’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem’s Mayor Nir Barkat in order to explore new commercial opportunities. The mission visited Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Herzlya and Atlanta Georgia’s sister city Ra’anana.
“Israel is a vital partner in friendship and in our economic development efforts. We are here to bolster our ties as we celebrate Georgia’s 20th year in the Israeli market and our long-standing commitment to the country, ” the Governor Added.
The group also attended a luncheon in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Georgian based UPS company’s Israeli division.
Chris Carr, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said, “Georgia has a unique advantage, with the Israeli Consulate General based in Atlanta and organizations like conexx: America Israel Business Connector. These partners of ours, which work actively to promote a stronger relationship, provide key connections and demonstrate goodwill between our state and Israel.”
Haifa Group is a private corporation founded in Israel in 1967. It began as a government owned company intended to develop the natural resources of Potash found in the Dead Sea and the Negev regions of Israel. Potash was only recently discovered to be usable as a fertilizer.
It declares its mission to be to create highly effective solutions for farmers worldwide by leveraging a deep familiarity with their requirements.
The company helped to influence the development of new agricultural technologies as it innovated new products such as foliar sprays and side-dressing, water-soluble fertilizers and controlled release fertilizers. Today its global activities embrace agriculture societies in 5 continents and in more than 100 nations. Haifa Group has 12 subsidiaries in countries around the world, including France, Australia, Mexico and now the United States.
Since 1989 the company has been owned by the American holding company Trance Resource Inc., which is controlled by the Trump Group.
Haifa currently supplies about 30% of the global demand for Potassium Nitrate fertilizers.
