RSA MicroTech is a company whose name has changed many times since it was created over 60 years ago. But what hasn't changed is the company's commitment to quality products and superior customer service. In tracking the company's history, one must follow the names of three fertilizer industry pioneers, their names are Smith, Ruffin and Ardussi.

Smith and Ardussi
In 1942, Dorothy Smith founded D.B. Smith Company in the state of Washington. Mrs. Smith's goal was to provide customers with quality crop nutrients and the very best in customer service.

John Ardussi joined the company in 1959, and it was renamed Smith & Ardussi, reflecting his share of the ownership. Company headquarters remained in Seattle, and the company product line included industrial and agricultural products.

In 1976, Smith and Ardussi sold the business to Ken Migchelbrink and Joe Sauve. Fence row to fence row planting by American farmers spurred sales, as farmers were interested in producing the highest yields possible, while achieving maximum economic returns.

Ruffin
Dave Ruffin, started Ruffin Micronutrients in 1970, selling Rayplex micronutrients, a product line established in the mid-1950's. In 1973, Ruffin moved the company to western Kansas, and in 1974, a full line of citrate-based micronutrients was added to meet the growing demand for liquid formulations of micronutrients. In 1978, Rayplex technology expanded to include the introduction of granular micronutrients.

Dave Ruffin sold the company to Fred Coston in 1991; the Ruffin company name was retained. In 1996, Ruffin received a US trademark patent on the improved granular lignin-based micronutrient.

Sale of Smith & Ardussi and Ruffin Micronutrients to Cenex/Land O'Lakes Agronomy Company
As agriculture began to consolidate, the established micronutrient businesses were attractive to a St. Paul, Minnesota, inter-regional farm supply cooperative, Cenex/Land O'Lakes Agronomy Company. The Agronomy Company purchased RSA (Ruffin-Smith-Ardussi) in 1996, and merged the companies into one, called RSA MicroTech.

The Agronomy Company continued to grow the overall micronutrients business, and continued product development.

RSA MicroTech today, Agriliance
Cenex/Land O'Lakes Agronomy Company was incorporated into Agriliance in February, 2000.

The commitment to high quality micronutrients continued under Agriliance ownership. In 2001, RSA began full production of EDTA chelates liquids, and in 2003 introduced a line of EDTA and Fe EDDHA powder chelates.