ABOUT
US

History [photo] 

 

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