Tessenderlo Kerley: Putting Their Best Foot Forward
August 28, 2025 
Tessenderlo Kerley presented its best foot forward with themed shoes at the official opening of its latest plant in Defiance, OH.
With the opening of its 15th and largest plant, located in the northcentral Ohio town of Defiance, OH, Tessenderlo Kerley Inc. (TKI), expanded its liquid fertilizer production to support growers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The 75-year-old company invited CropLife Media Group to the ribbon cutting ceremony August 21.
“We recognized for a long time the sulfur deficiencies around the Great Lakes area,” said Russell Sides, the company’s Executive Vice President. “Sulfur is the fourth most important nutrient for agriculture, for growers.”
The company formed an exploratory team to investigate potential sites for the new plant and settled on Defiance. About 45 acres of land was provided by the Plummer family. In addition, Defiance government worked to make this happen. It was the family’s way of giving back to the community in which they’ve farmed for decades.
“They’ve been nothing but supportive — from the Plummer family to the city officials,” Sides said. “They provided this land for an industrial park which was a key reason we chose this location. We saw a shared purpose; that’s why we’re here.”
Defiance, OH Mayor Mike McCann (right) accepts the shovel that was part of the groundbreaking from Russell Sides, Executive Vice President of Tessenderlo Kerley.
The company was founded by the Kerley brothers, who pioneered a process to convert sulfur gases into fertilizer, Sides said.
“They created a very circular and sustainable model long before sustainability became cool,” he said. “The TKI plant is designed to reuse as much material as possible. It’s about conserving energy and water, and being responsible stewards of the environment. This reflects the dedication of our engineers and everyone involved in the plant’s design. It’s a testament to our commitment to sustainability and our role in creating a better world.
Members of the Tessenderlo Kerley management team cut the ribbon to formally launch the company’s 15th plant.
“Our products bring a lot of value to the grower, bring a lot of value to our environment,” Sides continues. “This is something we’re very committed to, and I can assure you we’ll be good stewards here of the community. What we’re really celebrating is the journey. It’s a journey of a dream, of a family’s dream, of a vision that they’ve had.”
The new plant is technologically advanced and requires about 25 employees, which represents a mix of team members who relocated from other TKI facilities and new hires from the local area. The plant is fully operational and is already delivering products to customers throughout the Great Lakes region.
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