Saturday, October 18, 1997

Abilene-based ag company expanding with a new Beaumont plant

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

A & A Fertilizer, Ltd., an Abilene-based company that is co-owned by Dub Vinson of Ovalo and Bill Bass of Scottsdale, Ariz., began construction earlier this week on a $2.5 million ammonium thiosulfate plant at Neches Industrial Park in Beaumont.

The ATS plant will be built on the the park's 54-acre property at 1 Gulf States Road.

Vinson said that in 1994, Richard Cullifer of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., bought and began improving Neches Industrial Park which included building new, larger storage tanks and also adding larger docks.

The Beaumont location will provide convenient access to shipping by barge, rail and truck.

A & A Fertilizer has marketed ammonium thiosulfate from Mobil Corporation's Texas plant at Pasadena from 1989 until recently when Mobil sold its fertilizer operation.

The new fertilizer plant will use molten sulfur extracted as a by-product of operations from refineries and anhydrous ammonia to produce the ATS, which A & A plans to market in the Southeast and Texas.

A & A expects the plant to be completed in early 1998.

Vinson is president of Abilene Ag Service and Supply Inc., at 1301 S. Treadaway.

Remembering Watt this special day

Today is the long-awaited "Watt Matthews Cowboy Day" in Albany from daybreak to ceremonies tonight in the Aztec Theater when the first recipient of the Spanish Gourd award will be announced.

Mr. Matthews passed away on April 13 at his beloved Lambshead Ranch headquarters north of Albany. He had lived 98 years, 2 months and 13 days.

He was buried at the Reynolds Bend cemetery at the ranch on April 15 with about 1,000 people paying their respects. Multitudes also had filed by the Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church before the funeral.

Friends said it best

In Memoriam, "A Final Tribute to Watkins Reynolds Matthews" by "Some of his Friends," Dr. Lawrence Clayton and Sonja Irwin Clayton have done a superb job of compiling thoughts of Watt from some of those who loved him.

Said fellow Albany rancher and dear friend Bob Green, "An agreement with Watt, sealed with a handshake, was more binding than a multi-paged legal document formulated by a clutch of lawyers."

J.J. Gibson, of the famed 6666 Ranch and general manager of Burnett Ranches, Inc. said, "Mr. Matthews was a gentleman's gentleman. He was the epitome of the cattleman of his era."

Albany rancher Bill Cauble recalled how steady Watt was.

"He taught me patience," Cauble said. "When things seemed to be going bad and I was ready to panic, he'd say: 'Let's think about it. Nothing's passing but time.' "

Clayton said it so well: "A lot of ranchers have friends, but they can also be pretty closed to the public. Watt was different. He tended to be friends with anyone who would be friends with him."

Albany will celebrate that today -- and everyone is welcome.