PRM commenced operations in 1984 being 39 percent owned by FERNZ Corporation with the balance held privately by management. The business grew substantially over the next decade with a staff of 80 and operations throughout New Zealand and the Agrow business in Australia. In September 1996, Fernz wanted to significantly increase its business in the Industrial Chemicals field and via acquisition brought together a group of 5 companies under the Fernz Chemicals banner, acquiring all the shares of PRM as part of this new initiative.


Not long after this, Fernz moved head office to Melbourne, primary listing to the Australian stock exchange and many management changes. A subsequent change in strategic direction saw Nufarm exit the Chemicals business and the Fernz Chemicals operations in New Zealand and Australia were sold to Orica in November 2002; however the PRM business was excluded from that sale. The PRM business continued to be operated by Neil Riddell and Steve Austin until their acquisition of the business from Nufarm as at 31 July 2005.


PRM is largely involved in the fertilizer industry via the representation of major North American principals covering Potash from Canpotex Limited and Granular Urea, Granular Ammonium Sulphate, Sulphur and Granular Sulphate of Potash from International Raw Materials Ltd. PRM also has long experience with the importation of bulk commodities and chemicals from China. On behalf of our Principals, close to 400,000 mts per annum is imported into the New Zealand market. Over recent years, we have also been involved in close to 700,000 mts of Chinese phosphate rock being shipped to various Australian and NZ customers. We are active in the freight component of some of these movements and also arrange freight for customers and work together with our associates at Agrow in Australia on similar movements in the Australian market. Together with Agrow, we have a freight contract covering approximately 200,000 mts of fertilizers for shipment into Australia which was a rollover of a freight contract negotiated three years ago.
Additionally, PRM has had a fifteen year involvement in the Building and Steel/Aluminium Industries. We have arranged shipments of Coal, Gypsum, Cement Clinker and Granulated Blast Furnace Slag, Aluminium Fluoride and Pig Iron. These shipments have been arranged for a number of customers in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

Despite the structural changes of the last decade, the business and Principals of Pacific Raw Materials have remained unchanged since its inception in 1984.

Our largest volume fertiliser principals: