A proud history
Omnia was founded by the creative and innovative Dr Joachim Winkler and Mr Willie Marais. Already in 1951, they started marketing trace element blends under the commercial brand of “Fortifika”. This was way before its time, as the rest of the world was only starting to talk about the application of individual trace elements such as copper and zinc in fertilizer programmes. Note that trace element chelates were only discovered in 1951.
Two years later, Omnia Boeredienste (Farmer Services) was founded. Since then, Omnia has made remarkable contributions to the fertilizer industry as a whole and has been a front runner in the advancement of research, development and technology in this field.
1953 |
Omnia Boeredienste founded |
1967 |
First granular fertilizer plant established in Sasolburg |
1968 |
Launches own analytical soil laboratory |
1972 |
First ever liquid fertilizer operation in South Africa commissioned |
1974 |
Direct application ammonia launched; superphosphate and phosphoric acid plants completed |
1976 |
Expands liquid operation into UK and US; opens liquid fertilizer plants in Hectorspruit and Delmas |
1980 |
Lists on JSE with a share price of 50 cents |
1981 |
Omnia employee patents a clean, efficient technology for nitrophosphate production |
1982 |
Invests R88 million in own nitrogen production facilities |
1992 |
Extends operations into Africa with the opening of the Zambia office |
1993 |
Listed as top 100 company for the first time on the JSE |
1994 |
R&D division established to develop new products to optimise yield and quality |
1995 |
Launched Speciality Fertilizer division for crop specific needs; commercialised OmniSap® technology |
1996 |
Own potassium sulphate production Omnia Zimbabwe opens its doors |
1997 |
Construction of a R96 million fertilizer granulation plant began Omnia starts offering a precision farming service to our clients |
1998 |
Speciality fertilizer blender commissioned in Sasolburg. Nutriology® as a concept is born. |
2003 |
Omnia Specialities Australia established New calcium nitrate plant opened in Sasolburg applying unique patented technology developed by Omnia |
2004 |
OmniBio™ established to improve the biological life in the soil |
2005 |
Emerging farmer development programme started |
2012 |
Completed R1.5 billion nitric acid complex to eliminate the need to import large quantities of nitrogen |