On January 15th, 2021 TFP Nutrition turned 91 years young. Attached is an image from the Redland Herald the day after the company was incorporated. The story of how this came to be is interesting.
M.S. Wright had worked in the fertilizer industry for two decades prior. He knew the business well and wanted to start a new manufacturing enterprise where there was great need for the product and limited supply. In researching probable sites, he learned Texas farmers and ranchers applied 235,00 tons of commercial fertilizer annually, and that Nacogdoches County consumed 12,000 tons. Nacogdoches County did not have access to manufacturer of fertilizer even though it was essential to successful agricultural enterprise. Wright was located in Virginia and after an analysis of data available to him found that Nacogdoches, Texas was the best location for his business. He chose Nacogdoches by his testimony “site unseen”. Wright and his sixteen-year-old eldest son, Steele left Virginia on the day after Christmas in a Pontiac automobile. Traveling over mostly unpaved, narrow roads, they did not arrive in nacogdoches until almost a week later, on New Year’s day. Wright would have begun his quest for investment capital immediately except all banks and other businesses were closed. The Wrights checked into the Redland Hotel and prepared to meet with local business leaders the next day. Following a series of meetings, the most fruitful of which was with Captain Sturdevant, president of Stone Fort Bank, investors were secured enabling the business to begin in Nacogdoches. This was encouraged by Sturdevant’s memory of box cars filled with fertilizer awaiting unloading each year at planting time, and he decided that $500,000 that left Nacogdoches each spring to pay for it should be kept at home. They agreed to capitalize the Texas Fertilizer Company.
To ensure some local control until Wright was better known, prominent businessman W.U. Perkins became president of the company, Wright was designated vice president and general manager, and Thomas E. Baker became secretary-treasurer. There was never any question that Wright would be in charge of developing and operating the fertilizer plant or that his son Steele would be an integral part of the operation despite his youth. The company was incorporated on January 15, 1930 as mentioned above. That’s a 15 day economic development fast track during The Great Depression! That’s amazing! It’s amazing how our company came to be with the help of local leaders in Nacogdoches to create this company that is still an industry leader committed to enriching lives.
Portions of this article are taken from the book: “The Lone Star Brand: Products That Make Profits For Others 1930 – 2005” by Archie P. McDonald.