rowth. Of course, it’s the goal of every enterprise the world over. But in the fertilizer business, growth has a more direct connotation. When Henry and Dewey Lange started into business in 1926, they foresaw tremendous growth in U.S. agriculture.

Building on solid values and a work ethic that seemed more commonplace in that era, the business grew and gained a reputation that far outreached the actual scale of their meal-based fertilizer business.

In the early part of the 20th century, animal by-products were the primary source of fertilizers. In addition to animal manure, meat scraps, tankage, steamed bone meal, and dried blood meal were provided as waste material from the meat packing industry. These would be processed and bagged in 125 lb burlap sewn bags and sold. The Lange brothers sold these materials but did not process them in their own operations. These products were shipped to rural America by railroad boxcars, each car containing 15 to 20 tons. In those early days, the final transportation from the rail car to the farm was by a few trucks or teams of horse or mules and a wagon. It is said that when the rail car arrived at the destination and the doors opened on a sunny, hot day, the surrounding horses and mules would nearly go crazy from the odor of the animal products inside the car. The Lange brothers also sold a lot of raw ground rock phosphate which was bagged under their brand.

In the early days of commercial fertilizers, they were low analysis such as 2-12-6 in meal form, which had limited shelf life. It would get hard and become a 125 lb piece of fertilizer in a few days.

The Lange brothers located their company in St. Louis, Missouri, smack dab in the middle of agricultural America. From there, they looked around and saw nothing but opportunity…with the occasional obstacle. One of the obstacles was Mother Nature – devastating floods hit St. Louis mid-century. The brothers helped start the St. Louis Flood Control Association, a grass roots organization that successfully lobbied for a flood wall to help protect the city from the great Mississippi.

What does a flood wall have to do with a fertilizer business? As it turns out, a great deal. The brothers saw this as a way of ensuring the flow of materials uninterrupted on the Mississippi, and as a contribution to the greater St. Louis community and economy long term. They were thinking ahead – and again, their vision far outreached the actual scale of their business (it took 20 years for the flood wall to be completed).

In 1960 Rich Stegmann joined the company, originally working in the warehouse. Five years later Lange-Stegmann Fertilizer Company was formed, with Henry Lange and Rich Stegmann as proprietors. The partnership symbolized new strength and growth.