TriEst Ag Group

What TriEst Ag Group does

TriEst Ag Group is a privately held agricultural distributor and licensed applicator serving specialty crop growers across the southeastern United States. The firm operates six walk-in branch locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, distributing and applying soil fumigants (chloropicrin-based products including the Pic-Clor and Strike series, plus 1,3-D products TELONE II and TELONE EC distributed under license from Teleos Ag Solutions), designing and installing drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation systems with automation and fertigation, and selling fertilizers through the Liberty Acres Fertilizer subsidiary in Darlington, SC. Its product portfolio also includes grafted plants sourced through Tri-Hishtil, Haygrove polytunnels, and proprietary strip-till fumigation equipment that integrates dual-depth fumigant application into a single pass.

The company's business model combines one-time product sales (fumigants, irrigation hardware, fertilizer, equipment, grafted plants) with professional application services delivered by licensed applicators. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; standard terms are COD/prepay or net 30 days credit. TriEst sells through field sales representatives, inside sales, and branch walk-in traffic, employing a prescription-based approach in which agronomists issue customized recommendations grounded in soil tests, plant samples, and multi-state field trial data covering crops including tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, cucurbits, potatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelons, tobacco, onions, carrots, turf, and orchard crops. Quantified agronomic outcomes documented by the firm and university collaborators include 34-70% yield gains in chloropicrin and grafted-plant trials, 16-34% yield gains in Florida, 20-28% in Georgia, and 30-50% water savings with drip irrigation.

TriEst is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TriCal Group, a diversified agricultural conglomerate with more than 25 affiliated companies worldwide. The firm was founded around 1974, is headquartered in Greenville, NC, employs 11-50 people, and operates with a leadership team that includes VP Erwin Newell (also on the Irrigation Association Board of Directors), Director of Agronomy Josh Mays, Global Director of Potato Research Chad Hutchinson (former University of Florida faculty), and Regional Sales Manager Josh Freeman. Strategic partnerships with the University of Florida, NDSU, WSU, the NC Sweetpotato Commission, the NC Tomato Growers Association, and the Irrigation Association anchor the firm's research, education, and policy positioning.

Name

TriEst Ag Group

Legal name

TriEst Ag Group

Website

https://triestag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TriEst Ag Group is a privately held southeastern US distributor and licensed applicator of soil fumigants, irrigation systems, fertilizers, and specialty crop growing supplies serving specialty crop, potato, watermelon, sweet potato, and tobacco growers through six branch locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Inputs and Crop Production Services

NAICS

Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Fumigants & Soil Sterilants (AFABAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant Tissue, Soil & Water Sampling Coordination (Agronomy-Focused) (AFACABAH), Chemigation & Fertigation Injection/Dispensing Systems (AFAAADAE), Crop Protection Formulations (EC, SC, WG, WP, SL) (AFABAIAA)

Keywords

• Soil fumigation services
• Irrigation system design
• Specialty crop inputs
• Agricultural product distribution
• Plant nutrition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Soil Fumigant Products: Distribution and application of soil fumigant products including chloropicrin-based products (PIC100, PIC Plus, Pic-Clor series, Strike fumigants), TELONE by Teleos, VAPAM HL, K-PAM HL. Products are applied by licensed applicators to manage soil-borne pests, nematodes, and diseases.
2. Irrigation Systems: Design, installation, and sale of complete irrigation systems including drip irrigation, micro-sprinkler systems, pumping stations, filtration systems, and automation controllers. Systems support fertigation for precise nutrient delivery.
3. Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers: Sale of fertilizers and crop nutrition products through Liberty Acres Fertilizer subsidiary, including specialty blends for fertigation and soil applications.
4. Equipment and Supplies: Sale of agricultural equipment including polytunnels (Haygrove Tunnels), substrate, grafted plants, and associated growing systems for specialty crop producers.
5. Professional Application Services: Licensed applicators provide professional soil fumigation application services to growers who purchase products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TriEst Ag Group distributes and applies soil fumigation products (chloropicrin-based fumigants and TELONE), designs and installs irrigation systems, and sells plant nutrition products, grafted plants, polytunnels, and specialty agricultural equipment to commercial growers. The company provides prescription-based agronomic recommendations and licensed application services for specialty crop producers across the southeastern United States.

Product overview

TriEst Ag Group is a distributor and applicator of agricultural products and growing solutions, operating as part of the TriCal Group. The company offers a broad portfolio of soil fumigation products (chloropicrin-based products including Pic 100, PIC PLUS, Pic-Clor series, PIC 100 EC, and STRIKE 100CP/85CP fumigants; 1,3-D products including TELONE II and TELONE EC by Teleos), irrigation design and installation services (including filtration systems such as screen, disc, media, and hydrocyclone filters), plant nutrition (including Liberty Acres Fertilizer brand and fertigation), grafted plants (through Tri-Hishtil, including watermelon grafted plants with Carolina Strongback rootstock), polytunnels (Haygrove Tunnels), and strip-till fumigation equipment. Services span soil fumigation application, irrigation system design and automation, and agronomic support. The company serves growers across the Mid-South, Georgia, Florida, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and Northeast regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chloropicrin-based Soil Fumigants (PIC 100, PIC Plus, Pic-Clor series, STRIKE 100CP/85CP) Chloropicrin-based soil fumigant products (100% chloropicrin and blends) distributed by TriEst Ag Group for managing soil-borne pests, nematodes, and diseases in specialty crop production.
• TELONE by Teleos (TELONE II, TELONE EC) 1,3-Dichloropropene-based soil fumigants for nematode management distributed by TriEst Ag Group under license from Teleos Ag Solutions; federally Restricted Use Pesticides.
• Irrigation Design and Installation Services Custom irrigation system design using engineering software, pumping stations, dripline, submains, pressure regulation, and automation installation by trained irrigation technicians. Supports fertigation for precise nutrient delivery.
• Filtration Systems Complete irrigation filtration solutions including screen filters, disc filters, media (sand) filters, and hydrocyclone sand separators designed to protect irrigation systems from clogging.
• Strip-Till Fumigation Equipment Modular strip-till fumigation equipment with adjustable bed-forming, floating soil-finishing rollers, adjustable closing discs, and dual-depth fumigation integration. Reduces tillage by 67% versus conventional methods.
• Grafted Plants Grafted plant solutions including watermelon grafted plants with rootstocks such as Interspecific Hybrid Squash and Carolina Strongback (root-knot nematode resistant), sourced through Tri-Hishtil.
• Plant Nutrition and Liberty Acres Fertilizer Fertilizer products and crop nutrition programs including specialty blends for fertigation and soil applications, sold through the Liberty Acres Fertilizer subsidiary in Darlington, SC.
• Haygrove Tunnels Polytunnel/hoop house structures for protected growing environments used in plasticulture crop production.
• Professional Soil Fumigation Application Services Licensed applicators provide professional soil fumigation application services to growers who purchase TriEst products, delivered through six branch locations across the Southeast US.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% yield increase in NC standard plants with chloropicrin fumigation
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Teleos Ag SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor product partnership for distribution of TELONE soil fumigant products and related chemistries. Teleos Ag Solutions is the manufacturer of TELONE, a federally Restricted Use Pesticide, which TriEst distributes and applies as a licensed applicator. Products include TELONE II, TELONE C-15, TELONE C-35, and TELONE EC.
• University of FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for studying chloropicrin's impact on soil microbial communities, including work by Castellano-Hinojosa et al. on soil microbiome shifts and beneficial organism populations following fumigation treatments in plasticulture tomato production.
• University ResearcherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with university researchers including Dr. Gary Secor (NDSU), Dr. Steve Culman (WSU), Dr. Chad Hutchinson (TriCal Group), and Dr. Randy Huckaba (Teleos Ag Solutions) for potato research and soil health studies. Research published through Potato School educational events.
• Green and Growin'minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrade show partnership for nursery and greenhouse grower education events in Greensboro, NC. TriEst exhibits at booth to discuss ag technology and irrigation options.
• NC Tomato Growers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing industry partnership including board advisory participation by company leadership. Annual sponsorship of winter vegetable conference.
• NC Vegetable Growers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry advisory board participation by company leadership on matters affecting vegetable production in North Carolina.
• Landmark IrrigationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry board participation by VP Erwin Newell alongside company advisory role.
• NC Sweetpotato CommissioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of NC Sweetpotato Commission Annual Meeting. Partnership for industry education and grower support in North Carolina sweet potato production.
• Irrigation Association (IA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCompany VP Erwin Newell elected to IA Board of Directors for 3-year term. Partnership focused on elevating irrigation industry impact, promoting efficient water use, and fostering positive industry change.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Norcal Ag Service: California-based soil fumigation applicator and distributor serving specialty crop growers. Directly comparable to TriEst in offering licensed fumigation application services and chloropicrin-based product distribution in a defined US region.
• Douglas Products: Manufacturer and distributor of soil fumigants including chloropicrin-based products (Strike and others). Operates as a direct competitor and supply-side peer in the soil fumigation value chain serving specialty crop markets.
• Cardinal Professional Products: Distributor of soil fumigants (chloropicrin and 1,3-D products) and related crop protection chemicals serving US specialty crop growers. Closely comparable product portfolio and distribution/applicator model.
• Netafim: Global leader in drip irrigation systems and precision irrigation technology. Comparable to TriEst's irrigation design, installation, and fertigation offerings, particularly for specialty crops and high-value vegetable production.
• Jain Irrigation Systems: Manufacturer and supplier of drip and micro-irrigation systems, plasticulture, and greenhouse equipment. Comparable to TriEst's irrigation and polytunnel (Haygrove Tunnels) product lines serving specialty crop growers.
• Haygrove Ltd: Supplier of polytunnels and substrate systems for berry, vegetable, and orchard producers. Direct supplier and channel partner to TriEst; comparable offering for protected specialty crop production.

Broad incumbents

• TriCal Inc. Sister company within TriCal Group, focused on soil fumigation products and research globally. Comparable in product line and agronomic mission but operates as the global product and R&D arm rather than regional distributor/applicator.
• Helena Agri-Enterprises: Large national distributor of crop protection products, fertilizers, and seed with extensive branch network. Overlaps with TriEst in crop inputs distribution and agronomy services but serves a much broader row-crop and specialty-crop footprint.
• Nutrien Ag Solutions: One of the largest agricultural input retailers in North America, offering crop protection, fertilizer, and agronomic services. Comparable business model in inputs distribution and agronomy at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.

Others

• Teleos Ag Solutions: Manufacturer of TELONE (1,3-D) soil fumigants and a key product supplier to TriEst under distribution license. Adjacent value-chain participant with deep overlap in customer base and product chemistry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/triest_ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TriEst Ag Group