In memoriam.

Brayton Wilbur, Jr., Chairman of Wilbur-Ellis, San Francisco, CA, passed away on March 24, 2006. Wilbur-Ellis is a leading international marketer and distributor of ag products and is one of the United State's largest distributors and retailers of crop inputs.

Wilbur was a graduate of the Thacher School, Yale University and Stanford University where he received his MBA in 1961. Shortly afterwards, he went to work for Wilbur-Ellis which had been founded in 1921 by his father, Brayton Wilbur.

After managing the company's Asian operations, Wilbur became executive vice president then followed his brother-in-law, Carter Thacher as president and CEO of Wilbur-Ellis in 1988.

His tenure at the company was marked by the expansion of the company through the acquisition of Tide Products, Willamette Seed Co., and John Taylor Fertilizers and Soilserv Inc. Employee population grew to 2,000 with 120 agricultural locations, 25 Connell Bros. Offices and 11 feed mills.