Ford West: Godspeed, Old Friend!
February 17, 2021 In my almost 35 years as a trade journalist, I’ve met thousands of people, interviewed hundreds more, and been good friends with several dozen. Ford West, the head of The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) between 2005 and 2013, definitely would fit into this latter category.
In mid-February, I learned the sad news that Ford had passed. He was 73.
I remember first meeting Ford back in early 2006, just following his ascension to the top spot at TFI. I was in Washington, DC, for an in-person interview for our magazine. “Eric, my old friend,” said Ford as I walked into his office. “So nice to have you visit with me!” He then proceeded to turn the tables on me for a while, interviewing me about my life and professional interests. He also shared his life story with me. Then, and only then, did we finally sit down to talk about Ford’s plans for TFI and the how he had came to play a role in the fertilizer market.
This was a fascinating story, to say the least. After receiving his Master’s Degree in Food Science from North Carolina State University in the mid-1970s, Ford moved to the nation’s capital to serve as senior microbiologist for the National Canners Association. “For two years, I spent my days looking at the technical side of the food business, making observations and reporting my findings,” he said.
Then in 1979, a lobbyist friend told Ford of an opportunity at TFI, working on health and safety issues. Not long after that, West had the chance to move into a more political role at the association. “Even with its technical side, fertilizer is largely a people-oriented industry, and I always thought I had more people skills than benchmark science skills anyway,” he said.
One of the high points of Ford’s career at TFI came during the West Fertilizer disaster, which occurred in April 2013. This explosion killed 15 people and devastated a small Texas town. The incident also put the fertilizer industry and its safety precautions squarely into the nation’s regulatory cross-hairs.
Following the disaster, Ford immediately went to work with the TFI staff to address the situation and deal with the anticipated “heat” from regulators and the general public. By April 25, following a tour of the area, Ford and TFI released an official statement to the world: “The fertilizer industry shares America’s sympathy for the people of West, TX. The stories of lives lost, lives uprooted and a community that has been devastated are heartbreaking. While essential to feeding the world, some of the products handled by retailers require special care and handling. It is up to each retailer to work with local, state and federal regulators to ensure the safety of the community in which his or her business functions.”
Industry friends appreciated Ford’s manner of communicating, with the industry and those outside of it.
Industry friends also appreciated Ford’s manner of communicating, with the industry and those outside of it. “One of his greatest assets was Ford’s always present sense of humor, backed up by his engaging smile and never-to-forget laugh,” said Jay Vroom, the former President of CropLife America. “I cannot count the times I witnessed Ford’s ‘aw, shucks,’ personal demeanor disarm audiences and open the door for dialogue that would not have occurred with any other approach. Of course, in an age of 140 character Tweets, endless emails, and death by PowerPoint, Ford got by simply by direct conversation, looking folks in the eye, knowing what he was talking about, and clinching with a sincere handshake.”
I remember for years following his official retirement in 2013, Ford remained a fixture at many of the trade shows I attended each year – usually hanging around the TFI booth area. Each meeting, such as the one during the 2017 Commodity Classic, went the same: “Eric, my old friend! How are you? Let’s talk a bit about how you are doing,” he would say. We would then catch up on each other’s lives, share a laugh or two, and wish each other well for the future.
During our 2006 interview, Ford described to me how he viewed the world in general: “I prefer to look at the future, not at the past,” he said. I couldn’t agree more. And I know that my future will be all that much brighter for having him considered me one of his “old friends.”
Godspeed, Ford! Rest assured; you will be remembered!
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