Aug 13, 2015

Syngenta hosts grand re-opening for expansion at California facility

Syngenta held a grand re-opening for its newly expanded Woodland, California, research and development (R&D) and seed production facility.

The Woodland location is home to cereals, corn and vegetable R&D, and vegetable seed production. According to the company, one of the unique aspects of the facility is a significant emphasis on research for cucurbits and its role as host to the Global Cucurbits Center of Excellence at the R&D and production Woodland station.

Syngenta employees were joined at today’s ribbon cutting by customers, government officials and civic and agricultural leaders. According to Jim Houston, undersecretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, private investments in R&D infrastructure are critical to the state’s economic development.

“Agriculture is a source of stability and strength in the California economy,” Houston said. “That’s why private investments in research and development, like the one we are celebrating here today, are so important. With 80,500 farms and ranches, California agriculture is a $46.4 billion dollar industry that generates at least $100 billion in related economic activity. This enormous achievement is possible through a combination of tradition and innovation that has secured California's status as the most productive agricultural state for more than 50 years, thanks to communities like Woodland and companies like Syngenta.”

The Syngenta Woodland expansion includes:

• New greenhouses and specialized plant growth environments
• A new plant pathology laboratory
• Expanded work space for research and development activity

During peak season, the site has approximately 110 full-time employees and seasonal workers, an increase of more than 35 percent due to the expansion. Consistent with The Good Growth Plan, research conducted at Woodland will enable Syngenta to bring innovations to market more quickly and help farmers grow more from less.

“The challenges associated with feeding a growing global population in an environmentally sustainable way require that we think differently about how we help growers create efficiencies and improve their productivity,” said Sean Knapp, North America head of vegetables seed product marketing. “This facility – and the Global Cucurbits Center of Excellence located here – will provide an exciting opportunity for innovation and collaboration across a wide variety of crops, including cereals, corn, cucurbits and tomatoes.”