Dow acquires Dairyland Seed

Aug 18, 2008 6:29 PM, By Mark Moore

Dow AgroSciences has added another seed company to its portfolio, acquiring Dairyland Seed Company, based in West Bend, WI. The purchase expands Dow’s product portfolio in hybrid corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Dow currently owns the Mycogen and Triumph seed brands.

Dairyland Seed has a strong presence in the upper Midwest. The agreement includes all crop genetics, brands and plant-breeding programs, as well as Dairyland’s research, processing and production locations. The agreement includes Bio-Plant Research, a business unit affiliated with Dairyland Seed that focuses on licensing soybean, alfalfa and wheat germplasm.

Dairyland CEO Tom Strachota, who will now head Dairyland’s business as general manager, explains, “Our family owners along with our board felt that in order to grow in the future and best utilize our world-class genetics, we needed to align with a leading company in the area of biotechnology.”

Strachota indicated that Dairyland Seed had been looking for a partner since earlier this year and the process of aligning with Dow has moved along smoothly. “Our goal was to find a partner who shared our values, our philosophies and our commitment to employees, and we’ve found that with Dow AgroSciences,” Strachota says.

Ben Kaehler, commercial leader, Seed Affiliates and Traits Licensing, Dow AgroSciences, indicated that the company will continue to evaluate additional opportunities to expand its seed business.