Two of the Midwest’s young and agile independent seed companies have formed a new organization to deliver more high-performance corn hybrids and soybean varieties. AgSource Seeds, Inc. (Nevada, Iowa) and NuTech Seed, LLC (Leland, Iowa) will merge their operations effective September 1, 2006 to complement each organization’s ability to provide the best seed possible for corn and soybean producers.

The new company will market AgSource and NuTech brand seed for the 2007 growing season, with NuTech becoming the primary brand in 2008 and beyond.   

“This is a merger of two very like-minded organizations,” says Ken Rose, AgSource co-founder, who will serve as general manager for the new organization. “NuTech and AgSource have a very strong history of carefully and methodically selecting top-yielding corn hybrids and soybean varieties with the latest pest and herbicide resistant traits available. We expect our combined resources to only improve the seed performance we’ve offered growers in the past.”

AgSource Seeds and NuTech Seed owners (left to right) Tom Thompson, Ken Rose, Dennis Ewing and Hollis Oelmann, share a history of selecting high-performance corn hybrids and soybean varieties. The two companies will merge effective September 1, 2006.

Rose, along with Tom Thompson and Dennis Ewing, co-founders of NuTech Seeds, will continue to be actively involved in the research, evaluation and selection of hybrids and varieties sold by the new company. The merger will allow the companies to increase market coverage across 10 upper Midwest states by merging their sales, marketing and production operations. The company will be headquartered at the former AgSource facility in Nevada, Iowa.

 “We have always felt a strong obligation to be accountable to our customers by providing the highest performing seed with the most desirable traits and technology available,” says Ewing. “By joining forces with AgSource – which has demonstrated the same commitment for more than a decade – we believe we’ll become the go-to seed company for producers with high expectations for performance and service.” 

Existing production facilities located at Leland and Nevada, Iowa, will continue to operate. The new organization will employ more than 50 people involved in research, production, sales and administration who support a growing network of farmer-dealers throughout the upper Midwest.