Constructing A Legacy: An Inside Look into Weitz’s Iowa Fertilizer Plant 

At The Weitz Company we take pride in tackling complex, large-scale Industrial projects and the Iowa Fertilizer Company project in Wever, Iowa, remains one of our most memorable endeavors and stands as one of our most transformative projects in our company’s 170 year history.

Our integrated project team, alongside Orascom Construction, built The Iowa Fertilizer Plant – one of the largest nitrogen-based fertilizer plants in the world, placing it in the top five globally at the time of completion. It also marked a major milestone as one of the first natural gas-based fertilizer plants built in the U.S. in nearly 30 years, which was a groundbreaking step for the industry and for American infrastructure. 

As one of the largest nitrogen fertilizer production plants in the United States, this project demanded a high level of coordination, craftsmanship, and expertise. From concrete, structural steel, equipment installation, piping, electrical and controls, our team was involved in every aspect of the project. Our preconstruction and site logistic planning teams were instrumental in establishing the foundation and plan for a project of this size and complexity. This set the stage for construction execution through full team integration. Our self-perform capabilities and our key trade partners allowed us to maintain the highest level of control over safety, quality, and schedule throughout.

Jesse Hammes, Vice President, The Weitz Company | Industrial 

Spanning more than 320 acres, the Iowa Fertilizer Plant produces both liquid and ammonia fertilizer, supporting distribution by truck and rail across five continents. It’s capable of producing over 7 million tons of product annually. One standout feature of this project is the 9-million-gallon-per-day water treatment plant, designed to exceed municipal standards and managed water at a scale that supports the facility’s global reach. 

Weitz’s self-perform capabilities played a key role in the success of the Iowa Fertilizer Company project. By executing major scopes in-house, including over 64,000 cubic yards of concrete and nearly 5,500 tons of structural steel. This hands-on approach allowed us to maintain tighter control over quality, safety, and schedule. Our team and project partners also installed 378 pieces of OSBL equipment, more than 143,000 linear feet of process piping, placed nearly 100,000 linear feet of electrical cable, and supported water treatment and wastewater systems. These efforts spanned across the site, including ISBL and OSBL areas, requiring detailed coordination and a consistent, skilled workforce. 

Completed in May 2017, this project stands as a great example of Weitz’s commitment to delivering industrial facilities that serve communities and industries across the United States.