Rail is a key component of the company's distribution network
CF Industries produces and distributes nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products
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CF Industries, Inc., a subsidiary of CF
Industries Holdings, Inc., is one of North America’s largest
manufacturers and distributors of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products
for agricultural and other uses.
Founded in 1946 as a fertilizer brokerage operation by a group of
regional agricultural cooperatives, CF Industries grew by expanding
its distribution capabilities and diversifying into fertilizer
manufacturing. Through 2002, the company operated as a typical
supply cooperative. However, in 2003, in response to changing market
conditions, it adopted a new business model that established
financial performance, rather than the traditional cooperative
charge of providing an assured supply of product to its owners, as
its principal objective.
In 2005, an Initial Public Offering completed the company’s
transition and established CF Industries Holdings, Inc. as a public
company. Its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol “CF.”
In September of 2006, the company established its new Corporate Vision and Corporate Values, identifying its long-term aspirations and driving values.
The company is headquartered in Deerfield, IL, a
suburb of Chicago. Through its CF Industries, Inc. subsidiary, it
operates nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing complexes in
Donaldsonville, LA and Medicine Hat, Alberta; phosphate mining and
production operations in Central Florida; and a network of
fertilizer distribution terminals and warehouses, located primarily
in major grain-producing states in the U.S. Midwest. It also owns a
50 percent interest in KEYTRADE AG, a global fertilizer trader
headquartered in Switzerland.
In calendar 2008, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. had revenues of
more than $3.9 billion. Its share of the fertilizer market in
key Corn Belt markets is 26
percent for nitrogen and 19 percent for phosphate.
The company also exports a significant portion of its phosphate
output, primarily to Latin and South American markets.
CF Industries, Inc. is located at
4 Parkway North, Suite 400
Deerfield, IL 60015-2590