When asked to put into layman’s terms what it is exactly that Humic Growth Solutions does, Executive Director Kevin Merritt said simply, “‘we make food grow better.”

Merritt is optimistic and enthusiastic about his company’s future in Panola County.  He credits the Jacksonville, Florida-based company’s decision to become the occupant of what used to be the Hide Building in Sardis, to the guidance of Joe Azar, Director of Economic Development for the Panola Partnership.

“After visiting the site and meeting Joe Azar there – as we say, the rest is history,” said Merritt, of the Partnership CEO.  “He’s a top shelf guy.”

Humic Growth Solutions is one of the four industrial operations last year that were responsible for occupying the final remaining buildings in the county available for industry – for the first time in over a decade.

“We’re excited about the opportunity there, and hope we can find good employees in the local market and hire local people, and not have to import people to work,” said Merritt, by phone.  “We’re hopeful that the local job pool there is good.”

Plant manager is Josh Wiinamaki, a Wisconsin native, who has already had successful positions in Milwaukee and Jacksonville, Fla.  The new manager, who is often just as dirty as his employees from working in the processing areas, has enthusiastically embraced North Mississippi.

Although Wiinamaki and his family live in Hernando – “We wanted to live in Panola County but there were no houses available” – he said the short drive to Sardis is pleasant and he has felt welcomed by the Sardis community and other managers of businesses in the Sardis Industrial Park.

“This is a great place, I love all that I’m learning about Mississippi, and our employees have been awesome to work with,” he said. “Our owner has made a considerable investment here and we hope to be in Sardis and Panola County for a long time.”

The company is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of organic biostimulant products that can be used for organic farmers, or can be used for conventional farmers that use synthetic fertilizers, to make their synthetic fertilizers more effective with less amount applied to the acres.

The products are made for worldwide distribution, presently exporting to 40 countries.

“The idea is, we help farmers use less synthetic fertilizer and get better results, and we help the organic guys, who can’t use the synthetic fertilizers, grow amazing crops,” he said.

Humic Growth Solutions’ presence in Panola County is also due in large part to its proximity to Memphis, which is needed for access to the intermodal rail service.

The company is considered the global leader in extracted humate (also called functional carbon) manufacturing.  Among its many assets, functional humic substances are scientifically proven to help prevent valuable nutrients from getting flushed out of soil, and also better hold nutrients near and around the roots.

They specialize in wet chemistry extraction of humic and fulvic acids, and offer their activated products in liquid concentrate, 100 percent soluble powder, and 100 percent soluble granule form.  “We didn’t invent humic, we just perfected it!” is a company slogan.   Materials are mined in North America, made in the U.S.

After its purchase by Humic, additions have been made to the Hide Building in Sardis Industrial Park, and plans are to continue forward with the expansion.

When the building was bought it was 65,000 square feet, and then 6,000 were added. “Now I’m looking to probably add on another 25,000 square feet, and we’re going to be hiring more people – and ya know, we’re going to keep growing it,” said Merritt.

In response to the expansion, Azar said, “the economic impact in Sardis will definitely be felt.  Especially when (Merritt) gets the other two shifts employed.”  To Azar’s understanding the first shift had been already fully employed.

“When headquarters isn’t located in the same state, sometimes companies need an extra set of eyes and ears – and an extra set of contacts, and I think we’ve been that for Humic Growth Solutions,” Azar said.

“When they’ve had any kind of issues or problems that would stunt their growth, so to speak, we’ve worked with them and we’ve overcome every one of those obstacles together,” he said.  “We’re real proud of that – of the success and the forward movement that we’ve had.”

With regard to the expansion, Azar said the Partnership is working with Humic to purchase 10-13 acres of land owned by the City of Sardis, behind their current facility.

“They’re doing their due diligence now to sell that land to Humic – which will add an extra 10 jobs, but then also add an additional facility to the back of their property,” he said.

Azar described the feeling of making a difference with a company’s expansion and success as an enjoyable experience – from a partnership perspective.  “It’s a true partnership when you can work together and get things accomplished.”

Asked to comment about his company’s distinction of having the tallest building in Panola County – at a whopping height of 65 feet – Merritt said, “I wear that as a badge of honor.”

Although it remains the tallest building in the county, there’s reported to be a taller water tower, which would be distinguished as the tallest overall structure.

 

Humic Growth Solutions manager Josh Wiinamaki and Panola Partnership CEO Joe Azar are pictured with the addition the company built to accommodate their manufacturing plans in Sardis. The building is 65 feet tall and is the tallest building in Panola County, four feet taller than the Home2Suites hotel on Hwy. 6 in Batesville.