CANADIAN agricultural input retailer Agrium Inc burst into Australia this week with an unsolicited bid for AWB Limited.
But very few people in Australia know much about Agrium.
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With its headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, Agrium has become a powerhouse in the global fertiliser retailing business.
Its fertiliser operations began in Canada in 1931 as Cominco Fertilizers Ltd.
Gradually the company expanded and changed its name to Agrium in 1995.
Rapid expansion into the US and South America during the past decade had seen Agrium develop into a $US10.56 billion ($A11.83 billion) conglomerate.
The company now runs 826 retail centres in Canada, the US, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile selling fertiliser, crop protectants and seed.
Agrium is now the largest agricultural retail company in North America, selling its products under the Crop Production Services brand.
The company now has global sales last year of $US9.1 billion ($A10.2 billion).
In July, 2008, the company took a 70 per cent stake in Common Market Fertilizers SA, one of western Europe's largest fertiliser distribution businesses.
Agrium’s wholesale division manufactures, buys and distributes nitrogenous, phosphate and potash fertilisers.
It owns five fertiliser manufacturing plants in North America and a number of granulation and blending businesses in the US.
Agrium has also expanded into the world's largest fertiliser market, China, by taking a stake in Hanfeng, a company with four manufacturing plants focusing on controlled release fertilisers.
And, with other partners, it is building a state-of-the-art nitrogenous fertiliser plant in Egypt.
Agrium president and chief executive officer Mike Wilson said his company had been eyeing Australia for three years.
The move last week to take over AWB Limited was a "natural fit'', Mr Wilson said.
Agrium is clearly interested in the Landmark rural division with its 400 retail outlets in Australia and New Zealand.
But another obvious attraction in the AWB stable is its 50 per cent stake in Hi-Fert fertiliser distribution business, which is currently on the market.
