OREANDA-NEWS. September 07, 2012. Agrium Advanced Technologies. (TSX and NYSE: AGU) announced it will be permanently closing its Courtright, Ontario facility. The company came to this decision after conducting a thorough examination of the plant’s future and the supply of raw material options, reported the press-centre of Agrium.

Andrew Mittag, President, Agrium Advanced Technologies, explained, “It has become ever more challenging in these times of high urea volatility to secure a supply that would allow us to operate the facility profitably therefore, after considering numerous alternatives, we have reluctantly decided to permanently close this facility. This was a difficult decision.”

During the closure and dismantling process, Agrium Advanced Technologies will work closely with various regulatory agencies as part of its commitment to environmental stewardship. There are 28 employees at the Courtright facility. Some will temporarily remain past the August 29, 2012 shutdown date to support shipping of inventory and final shutdown of the operation.

The Courtright facility annually produced approximately 68,000 tonnes of controlled release products used in the turfgrass market. Customers of the Courtright plant will continue to receive products manufactured from alternate AAT sources.

Agrium Advanced Technologies is a strategic business unit (SBU) of Agrium Inc., a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in both North and South America and a leading global producer and marketer of agricultural nutrients and industrial products. Agrium Advanced Technologies is the leading manufacturer and marketer of controlled-release fertilizers and micronutrients in the professional turfgrass, horticulture, consumer lawn and garden and all agricultural markets. We are at the forefront of environmentally friendly fertilizer technologies and also provide effective pest control solutions. We deliver innovative, premium quality products with unsurpassed customer service. We achieve this through the expertise of our employees, strong customer relationships and our passion for developing technologies and leveraging them into new markets.