Nov 30, 2015

Gowan Company to buy global DNA business from Dow AgroSciences

Gowan Company announced Nov. 30 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the entire global dinitroaniline (DNA) herbicide portfolio from Dow AgroSciences LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW). The acquisition includes global product registrations, trademarks, including Treflan, Edge, Team, Bonalan and Sonalan, intellectual property and labels for herbicides based on the molecules trifluralin, benfluralin and ethalfluralin.

According to a news release, a formulation and packaging facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada, is also part of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close by year end 2015. Agreement and financial terms were not disclosed.

DNA herbicides were one of the first families of selective soil herbicides and have been a part of weed management programs for over a half century. The global DNA business to be acquired by Gowan has a broad regulatory presence with active registrations in 22 countries including the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and parts of Europe. These products provide proven control of annual grasses and small seeded broadleaf weeds in a wide range of crops including cotton, beans, canola, cereals, crucifers, cucurbits, and vegetables.

“We are enthusiastic to be able to acquire these proven products in this critical era for herbicide resistance management,” said Juli Jessen, Gowan Group CEO. “The products are particularly significant for us in Canada and Europe where our growing sales force is centered on extending the utility of herbicide programs. And we are grateful for the opportunity to defend and evolve the DNAs for niches that have long been our sweet spot, such as vegetables and turf. This move is part of Gowan’s continued efforts to deliver solid chemistry to help solve our customers’ needs.”

“These products have been essential to modern weed control, and our sale of the DNA business doesn’t diminish this history as we look to the future and invest in innovative and differentiated products,” said Ramiro De La Cruz, Vice President, Crop Protection, Dow AgroSciences.

According to the news release, Gowan and Dow are “committed to working together to ensure a seamless transition of this business for all stakeholders.”