To double down on the company’s digitization strategy, Nutrien Ag Solutions has unveiled the Nutrien Hub.
“We say our business is clicks and mortar,” says Rob Clayton, senior vice president of North American retail for Nutrien Ag Solutions. “We are a bricks-and-mortar company, but we’re not naive enough to not know that our customers are getting more sophisticated and want digital tools for convenience. This is about ensuring we have a 24/7 connection with our customers, making it easy for them to connect with us anytime, 7 days a week.”
While Nutrien launched its first portal in 2018, beginning an era in the business where many invested in online portals and e-commerce, this newest iteration of the digital business and how its success is being measured are quite different.
“When we first launched the original customer portal, it was focused around helping growers place orders,” says Jeff Garlich, director of product development for the Nutrien Hub. “As we look at the new Nutrien Hub, our focus is on enabling stronger collaboration between our crop consultants and growers to get the best agronomic outcomes for our customers. That means not only providing financial information, but also agronomic information, environmental insights, and bringing all of those into one place. That was fractured across five different applications two to three years ago, and we’ve been working to consolidate everything into one spot for our growers to go access that information.”
“We’ve certainly pivoted away from looking at total sales through the digital portal as the ultimate measure of success,” Clayton says. “It’s less about a dollar figure and more about how the Hub enables growers and crop consultants to work together more effectively.”
He goes on to say it’s the talent and skillset of the Nutrien team that is core to how the Hub can amplify their strengths and be a better partner to farmers in how they do business. Key questions that will be answered to measure the Hub’s success are:
- Does this improve outcomes for customers?
- Do customers save time and effort?
- Is it more convenient?
- Does it strengthen the connection between customers, Nutrien, and the people who represent the company?
“This is about making Nutrien the easiest company to do business with from an administrative standpoint,” he says. “Over time, we expect more customers will want the option to make purchases online. That’s not our focus right now. For now, and for the foreseeable future, we are not going to be a digital-only company. We will remain a people-first business in the field, supported by a digital platform that empowers our teams to be the most effective partners for farmers across North America.”
Beta-testing.
With its current user base of approximately 75,000, all customers were transitioned from the previous portal to the Hub in May.
“It was the smoothest sunset and switch I’ve had in my career,” Garlich says.
As Nutrien implements a new ERP system across geographic divisions in the US, it’s also rolling out new features of the Hub to users. The HUB is already available across North America, with additional functionality being introduced alongside the ERP rollout, which is targeted to be complete by October 2026. Developed with an in-house team, the project included feedback throughout the process from internal and external users. The team just completed a case study with users in central Indiana. When asked at the conclusion whether the Hub had been beneficial, the answers were all yes, according to Clayton.
“We are cognizant that we’re in 2025, entering 2026, and this really puts the company in our customers pocket,” he says. “For the first time, our company is giving employees and customers a mirrored view of looking at the same information in the same way. You can call the location for information or look it up yourself and get the same answer on invoices, payments and more.”
Foundational features.
There are five key features for the new Hub:
- Online payments
- View invoices, purchase history, and account details
- Manage account profile and notification preferences, including paperless statements
- Explore financing offers
- Monitor local and field-level agronomically relevant weather conditions, and view shared agronomic crop plans
Nutrien aims for the Hub to deliver industry-leading, precedent-setting functionality, including the ability to aggregate supplier financing programs for users.
“This will be the first time these supplier programs will be fully digitized and simplified,” Clayton says. “We’ll be able to show growers all the programs available to them with a much faster—almost instant--process. Right now, these programs are tracked in spreadsheets, making it challenging for everyone involved—suppliers, farmers, and retailers. In a couple of years’ time, digitization won’t be optional – retailers will need it to stay competitive .”
Another functionality the team has built is the ability for farmers and their crop consultants to collaborate on soil sample results, crop planning, agronomic recommendations, and more. The Hub will also feature daily weather insights from meteorologist Eric Snodgrass and his team. Garlich highlights how the Hub will provide real-time information across the Nutrien business–supporting crop plan confirmations, order placement, a improved inventory tracking and management.
Monthly updates will continue to add new features and functionality, and leaders say to expect announcements as Nutrien brings on additional data-sharing partners for farmers.
“This is the start of the journey for us,” Garlich says. “While we’ve had a tool available in the past, what exists today is not what we’re going to end with. We will continue to enhance and expand it over time. For growers who may have looked at the previous version in the past and decided it wasn’t for them, this is a new tool – one worth revisiting to see how it can truly help support the challenges they face.”
