Former TFI President Recognized for Lifetime Achievement

Ford West, former president of The Fertilizer Institute, has received the Agricultural Retailers Association's Jack Eberspacher Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award is ARA's highest individual honor, designed to recognize career-spanning achievements in and contributions to the agricultural retail industry. It was named after Jack Eberspacher, who served as ARA president and chief executive officer from 2001 until his death in 2009.

"Jack was dedicated to ARA and the success of this industry. I'm proud to be recognized with an award named in his honor," said West, who received the award during ARA's annual conference.

West, who recently retired from a 30-year career with TFI, was honored for his leadership and support on fertilizer issues and his efforts in building a strong collaborative relationship with ARA. Recently, TFI and ARA have worked together on a proposal to create ResponsibleAg, an industry-led effort to improve safety and regulatory compliance surrounding chemical storage.

ARA President and Chief Executive Officer Daren Coppock praised West for his “steady hand in the industry's response” to the explosion at the West Fertilizer plant in West, Texas, that killed 15 last spring. West was both sympathetic to the community and blunt with industry leaders, Coppock said.

"He sure didn't sugarcoat things” in talking with Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association leaders, said Mary Hartney, FFAA's president. "He said 'If you can't afford to be safe and in complete regulatory compliance, you don't need to be in business'."

"Sometimes we think of ourselves as competitors," West said about the relationship between retailers and the fertilizer suppliers. "But we are all in this together. Our work together means greater efficiencies for you and for our industry."