CSBP
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fertiliser, Chemicals, Industrial materials |
| Predecessor | Cuming Smith & Co., Cuming Smith Mount Lyell Farmers Fertiliser Limited (CSML) |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Cuming Smith & Co. |
| Headquarters | Kwinana , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | John Bennison (noted for acquisition leadership) |
| Products | Fertilisers, industrial chemicals, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wood-plastic composite materials |
| Owner | Wesfarmers (through WesCEF) |
| Parent | WesCEF (part of Wesfarmers group) |
CSBP Limited is an Australian-based fertiliser and chemical manufacturer headquartered in Kwinana, Western Australia. It functions as a subsidiary under WesCEF, which is part of the industrial division within the Wesfarmers group.
Current operations
The company manufactures fertilisers, industrial chemicals, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and wood-plastic composite materials serving the agricultural, mining, and industrial markets. CSBP owns two subsidiaries: Australian Vinyls located in Laverton, Victoria and ModWood Technologies situated in Campbellfield, Victoria. Additionally, it co-owns the Queensland Nitrate Project (QNP), a partnership with Dyno Nobel.
CSBP’s corporate headquarters are in Kwinana, complemented by a soil and plant testing laboratory in Bibra Lake. The firm maintains regional fertiliser distribution hubs in Albany, Bunbury, Esperance, and Geraldton, along with depots at locations including Corrigin, Dalwallinu, Goomalling, Merredin, Tambellup, and Wagin.
History
The origins of CSBP trace back to Cuming Smith & Co. which commenced fertiliser production in 1910 at Bassendean under the "Florida" brand. This marked Australia's initial manufacturing of superphosphate.
CSML
In 1927, Cuming Smith partnered with Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company and Westralian Farmers Superphosphates to establish Cuming Smith Mount Lyell Farmers Fertiliser Limited (CSML), with each entity holding an equal one-third share. CSML arose amid rapid agricultural expansion in Western Australia, supplying nearly all locally used superphosphate—totaling approximately 1,925,000 tonnes within its first two decades—and had an annual production capacity of 240,000 tonnes.
To enhance distribution capabilities, CSML inaugurated manufacturing facilities in Bunbury and Geraldton in 1930. In 1954, a plant was launched in Albany alongside a collaboration with Cresco Fertilisers to create the Albany Superphosphate Company. This partnership operated plants at Albany and later expanded to include a facility established in Esperance in 1962.
CSBP
In 1963, ownership of Mount Lyell's stake in CSML transferred to Boral, which subsequently sold it to BP in 1964. This led to the rebranding of CSML as Cuming Smith British Petroleum and Farmers Limited (CSBP).
By 1967, CSBP had constructed superphosphate and sulphuric acid plants at Kwinana. The following year saw the creation of the Kwinana Nitrogen Company as a joint venture where CSBP held a 20% interest and BP controlled 80%. In 1970, CSBP acquired Cresco Fertilisers—its primary competitor—resulting in the closure of manufacturing sites at Bassendean and North Fremantle by 1971. Throughout the 1970s, three additional plants were commissioned at Kwinana.
In October 1977, Westralian Farmers (now known as Wesfarmers) initiated a $60 million bid to take over CSBP—valued at triple its own market worth. Spearheaded by John Bennison, this acquisition finalized in September 1979 after two years of negotiation and represented the largest corporate takeover recorded in Australia up to that time.
During the 1980s, CSBP diversified into industrial chemicals. Wesfarmers acquired BP’s one-third shareholding in CSBP in 1986, gaining full ownership, and purchased BP's interest in the Kwinana Nitrogen Company a year later. In 1988, CSBP established Australian Gold Reagents Limited (AGR) through a joint venture with Coogee Chemicals and the Australian Industry Development Corporation (AIDC). After AIDC exited the partnership in 1997, CSBP increased its ownership to 75%. The company operated under the name Wesfarmers CSBP from 1995 until it adopted the current name CSBP Limited in 2003.