Our Story

A Legacy of Innovation and Client Focus

To understand the strong foundation of FCI, what sets us apart, and why we’ve become leaders in our field, look back to our company founder, Alfred K. Leach, Sr. He launched FCI in 1964 with the vision to provide agricultural clients with total management services. Leach Sr. believed he could make his business successful by providing everything farmers needed – the right products, services and expertise – to ensure the growth and profitability of their business.

Ten years later, industry experts affirmed the continuing success of FCI and our visionary founder. An article in the December 1973 issue of Farm Chemicals stated,

“There’s a company down in southeastern North Carolina that can best be described as ‘unique.’ That’s because it’s run by an entrepreneur who believes wholeheartedly that this nation is still a land of opportunity … Alfred Leach could well have coined the term ‘agribusiness’.”

In 1988, Alfred K. (Dooie) Leach, Jr. took over leadership of FCI after the death of his father. Thoughout his career at the helm, Dooie Leach has remained committed to his father’s vision of a state-of-the-art, full service company providing quality products and services with integrity. Dooie is also a strong supporter of our industry, keeping current with new developments and maintaining ties with agricultural organizations. Committed to environmental integrity, he has been involved in policy making to help ensure that regulations are effective and affordable for farmers. 
Today, FCI’s operations include two fertilizer plants (for dry and liquid products) with state-of-the-art production and blending systems, a warehouse facility with an extensive inventory of seeds and soil treatment products, and the most advanced equipment for custom fertilizer application, irrigation and product delivery. Our complete range of services, including our comprehensive AgPlus™ precision agriculture program, offers GIS mapping and weather analysis, nutrient management planning, soil sampling and crop scouting. 

Staying true to our founding principles, FCI combines innovation, offering the latest products and proven technologies, with our commitment to maintaining close, hands-on contact with our clients. In the words of Dooie Leach,

“We always think in terms of our clients. Our primary goal is to boost their profitability by increasing the yield and quality of what they produce. Working with our clients, we get to see the results.”

With a third generation – Dooie’s sons, Trey and John Leach – now in the business, FCI will continue to blaze new trails in client service for decades to come.