FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ST. LOUIS – August 17, 2021 – Ostara St. Louis, Ltd. will bring 40 new, high-paying jobs to the St. Louis
region and make a $25 million capital investment in the establishment of a Crystal Green® fertilizer
production facility in St. Louis City. Announced last year and officially approved by the St. Louis Port
Authority recently, Ostara has begun recruiting and hiring employees to staff the facility — its largest in
the U.S. — and bring Crystal Green®’s sustainable technology to the Midwest. The project was supported
by Greater St. Louis, Inc., Missouri Partnership, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, Ameren
Missouri, Spire, Bruce Oakley, Inc. and Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA).
“We’re excited to welcome another agtech company to Missouri, where agriculture remains our number
one economic driver,” Governor Mike Parson said. “Ostara’s investment in St. Louis will create more
career opportunities for Missourians, build on its mission to help farmers improve crop yields across North
America, and protect water and soil quality around the globe.”
Canadian-founded Ostara, which develops technologies that recover phosphorous and nitrogen from
water treatment streams and produces eco-friendly fertilizer products, currently has a fertilizer facility in
Florida but began looking to establish a central U.S. presence. After a site selection search, executives
concluded that St. Louis provided optimum conditions for the company’s growth and sustainability goals.
The region’s nationally recognized agtech aggregation, its proliferation of educational institutions and its
Midwestern location all played a role in Ostara’s decision.
“St. Louis was a natural choice for Ostara to construct its newest and largest manufacturing facility that
will produce our environmentally friendly Crystal Green® fertilizer,” says Dan Parmar, Chief Executive
Officer at Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies. “As we gear up production over the next year, we’re
partnering with the St. Louis community and Missouri businesses to continue our mission to produce a
sustainable phosphorus soil health solution that will enhance crop yields while protecting water sources
across the globe.”
Ostara plans to work with colleges and universities, businesses, and banks to grow roots and establish a
presence in the region, creating the connections needed to build additional local plants in the future.
“St. Louis is open for business,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “St. Louis welcomes Ostara as the
latest addition to our growing agtech and innovation communities and the good-paying jobs the company
will bring to our region.”
Ostara recently completed the purchase of its new St. Louis facility, located on the north Mississippi
Riverfront at 39 Bremen Avenue, from Bruce Oakley, Inc., a trading, distribution and transportation
company that will serve as a long-term partner for the firm. Ostara is leasing the land for the new facility
via a long-term agreement with TRRA and Bruce Oakley Inc. The company made a conscious choice to
repurpose an existing facility as part of its larger goal to protect natural resources.
“Ostara is passionate about feeding the world while protecting the world’s precious water sources
through its innovative nutrient recovery technologies and the production of Crystal Green. Fertilizer
produced at our St. Louis facility will impact acres across the U.S. by substantially improving crop yields
and by keeping nutrients in the soil instead of leaching into our precious water bodies,” Parmar added.
“Ostara’s products and vision dovetail with St. Louis’ strengths,” said Steve Johnson, chief business
attraction officer, Greater St. Louis, Inc., and president, AllianceSTL. “Agriculture, plant sciences and
manufacturing have long served as foundational elements of our regional economy. Our agtech assets
will provide a unique level of support for Ostara, and the company, in turn, will contribute to its growth
— and the growth of our region — while increasing quality jobs in Downtown St. Louis.”
About Ostara: Ostara’s Crystal Green® and Crystal Green® Pearl fertilizers are the first granular slow-release
phosphorus fertilizers to release nutrients in response to plant demand; these Root-Activated™
granules are proven to increase yield, enhance soil health and significantly reduce phosphorus tie-up and
runoff, thereby improving food security while protecting local waterways from nutrient pollution. In
addition to our Crystal Green fertilizer the Company’s Pearl® water treatment technology recovers
phosphorus and nitrogen from industrial, agricultural, and municipal water streams, and transforms these
nutrients into its premium, sustainable Crystal Green® Pearl fertilizer which is sold into the agriculture and
turf sectors through a network of established distributors in North America and Europe. To learn more
about Ostara’s revolutionary technologies, please visit ostara.com | crystalgreen.com.
About AllianceSTL and Greater St. Louis, Inc.:
Greater St. Louis, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) organization of businesses formed through the merger of five private-sector
led and St. Louis-focused economic development and civic leadership organizations on Jan. 1, 2021.
The five combining organizations were AllianceSTL, Arch to Park, Civic Progress, Downtown STL, Inc., and
the St. Louis Regional Chamber. Greater St. Louis, Inc. brings together the business community to help
drive economic growth and create opportunities for all with a focus on inclusive growth. Greater St. Louis,
Inc. is in a position to drive economic growth with a unified voice, a bold agenda, and as one St. Louis
metropolitan area that is anchored by a vibrant urban core. Additional information is available at
GreaterSTLinc.com.
AllianceSTL is the business-attraction initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. It promotes the competitive
advantages of locating and investing within the 15-county, bi-state St. Louis metropolitan area.
AllianceSTL works directly with clients to identify real estate and workforce solutions that leverage St.
Louis’ competitive economic advantages and quality of life. It connects decision makers to key contacts
and networks, offers intelligence and information, and provides the tools and resources that can help
clients unlock all that the region has to offer. AllianceSTL helps businesses start up, stand out and stay in
St. Louis. Find out more at AllianceSTL.com.