Simplot Turf and Horticulture expands into Southeast

A shot inside Simplot’s Birmingham, Ala., warehouse. (Photo: Simplot Turf and Horticulture)

For the past five years, Simplot Turf & Horticulture has been in expansion mode, and it hasn’t looked back.

“For us, it just proves that we’re going to be a leader in the turf and horticulture business,” says Barry Mac Ban, general manager of Simplot. “We’re not just an ag company. It’s proving to our customers that we’re going to be in this business for a long time, and we’re excited about growing our business.”

It began with the opening of a facility in Oklahoma City, the first location outside of Simplot’s Southwest and Pacific Northwest footprint.

From there, Jeff Higgins, Ph.D., had a vision to grow further — into the Southeast — according to Mac Ban. Higgins started with Simplot in May 2018.

“I started at ground zero in May, now we have 26 sales reps, 50 employees in total here in the Southeast … Virginia, Texas, the panhandle of Florida,” Higgins says. “Our plan is to have the complete map of the U.S. eventually covered with Simplot.”

“Simplot is very diversified,” he adds. “They do over $7 billion a year in revenue. That, to me, brings a lot of value … if you’re just in the fertilizer business, you won’t last. That’s the part I like — we’re not just a fertilizer company.”