A few months after publishing the "Global Seed Study" one night I received a telephone call at home on my business line. It was from the head of the agricultural division of Pfizer who had subscribed to my study and wondered whether I could help them make some acquisitions in the seed industry. I told them I would think about it and get back to them the next day. Five months later, I had helped Pfizer acquire Clemons Seed Farms, a major Iowa producer and marketer of soybean seed. Clemons had been a producer of soybeans for the Teweles Company and I knew them very well. The check I received for the Pfizer transaction was the largest I had ever seen. A whole new world was opening for me. Shortly thereafter, I sold Pfizer two more seed companies. My consulting business now could be labeled a consulting and investment banking business. Very exciting times.

Soon thereafter, a number of other multinationals gave me acquisition assignments. The first wave of seed company acquisitions was underway. I soon learned that the McKinsey strategies for the multinationals was that seed was the basic foundation in the food chain and that by controlling the source of seed the multinationals could control the entire food chain from seed through processing and the distribution phases. This proved to be a great story and the multinationals bought in. I also learned that in the multinational world "monkeys see, monkey do". The majors followed each other, not willing to let a competitor get ahead. These seed scenario instructions to management came via their board of directors as marching orders. So much for the first stage of seed company acquisitions in the 1970’s.