AgroLiquid opens new corporate headquarters

A little more than a year after breaking ground, Agro Culture Liquid Fertilizer in St. Johns celebrated the opening of its new corporate headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 13. The next day, Agro Liquid opened its doors to the public, allowing hundreds of visitors to tour the new facility.

 

Friday’s events included invitation-only tours, for approximately 250 “VIPs” from all over the state, followed by a luncheon and then the ceremonial ribbon cutting.

 

At lunch, people representing several businesses and organizations which have been impacted by Agro Liquid made a few remarks.

 

When it comes to growing a business, there are two routes to take, according to Pat Driscoll, who served as emcee for the event.

 

“There’s the Donald Trump route where it’s all about ‘me’,” he said.

 

Then there’s the Bancroft-Cook route which is not about “me” at all. Bancroft-Cook refers to Troy Bancroft and Doug Cook who founded the corporation. Cook died in 2010.

 

“What a great community partner,” said Keith Creagh, director of Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

 

Creagh congratulated Bancroft and Agro Liquid on the IQ Hub, a wing of the corporate headquarters scheduled to open next summer.

 

“With the IQ Hub, Agro Liquid is making sure the youth of the future benefit from the lessons of the past,” he said.

 

“Agriculture faces many challenges today,” said Andy Hagenow, vice president of Michigan Farm Bureau. “We want to congratulate Agro Liquid on meeting some of those needs.”

 

Craig Wieland, president of Wieland-Davco Corp. the contractors for the construction project, said there must be something in the water in Michigan that fosters the growth of entrepreneurs. He listed men like Fred Meijer, Richard DeVos, Tom Monaghan, Will Kellogg, C. W. Post and Mike Ilitch.

 

“We need to add another name to that list, Troy Bancroft,” said Wieland.

 

Those other men built their empires in metropolitan areas, according to Wieland.

 

“Troy Bancroft built this business on Clinton County dirt.”

 

Bancroft added some remarks prior to the ribbon-cutting. He thanked the architects - Hobbs & Black - and the contractors - Wieland Davco Corp. for the design and construction of the facility that represents the rich heritage of agriculture along with the bright future of agriculture.

 

“This building has three components - office facilities, the conference center and the 12,000 square foot IQ Hub,” said Bancroft.

 

He said the IQ Hub is part of the building because “we had to do something for the greater good.”

 

“We want to help educate young people about where agriculture came from, where it is today and even more important, where it is going in the future,” he said.

 

“I believe in agriculture with a faith not born of words, but born of deeds,” he said in conclusion.