Southern Agricultural Insecticides

Southern Agricultural Insecticides, Inc. was started in the 1930’s headed by Hans Diem. During this time, crop dusting by hand was the most common method of pesticide application. Custom dust blends included ingredients such as Sulfur, Copper, Pyrethrin and Rotenone. Personnel and equipment was often moved between locations in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina to maintain a year round business. The company was incorporated in 1947. John Diem joined the business after a servicing the war stateside in explosives manufacturing. SA-50 became the company’s trademark because 0.5% pyrethrin dust was the flagship product. The four blocks on the logo represented the Swiss flag. In the later part of the 1940’s the company started to distribute and formulate many of the newer products that were being developed by such companies as Bayer, Ciba, Dow and Dupont. In the 1960’s and 1970’s many of the customers were vegetable farms and feed stores. In the 1980’s, the business expanded into supplying pesticides and fertilizer products for turf, ornamental and garden centers. The company is still owned and operated by the founding family.