Des Moines, Iowa, and Hermiston, Oregon, USA
March 13, 2013
DuPont Pioneer announced today plans to increase capacity at its Hermiston, Ore., IMPACT™ Research location. The expansion, expected to break ground in March and be completed in August of this year, will add over 5,000 square feet of office space and 51,000 square feet of drying, storage and seed conditioning space.
"This expansion is an excellent opportunity for DuPont Pioneer to continue to meet customers' needs as well as help grow the Hermiston economy," said Shane Clayson, research manager, DuPont Pioneer. "This area not only meets our needs in regards to the growing environment, but the community support has been phenomenal as well."
Upon completion, this $4 million expansion will result in the creation of an estimated seven new jobs over the next two years and includes additional office space, seed storage and conditioning equipment. The latest expansion announcement comes less than two months after Pioneer announced its plans for a $28 million expansion of its Hermiston Parent Seed facility, creating 18 new full-time jobs.
"This DuPont Pioneer expansion - the fourth at this site in four years - indicates our continued and long-term dedication to the agricultural industry in this area," said Mayor Dave Drotzmann, city of Hermiston. "The city of Hermiston is particularly excited about this expansion at the DuPont Pioneer research facility, because the jobs it will create are truly high-tech agriculture jobs."
Pioneer first established a research presence in the Hermiston area in 2010. This location supports the business's IMPACT™ (Intensively Managed Product Advancement Characterization Testing) program by growing seed for pre-commercial testing throughout North America.
The city of Hermiston is a vibrant and growing community of nearly 17,000 residents located at the cross-roads of the Pacific Northwest. Located near the intersection of Interstate 84 and Interstate 82, just minutes from a Columbia River port and the Washington state line, Hermiston is capitalizing on its strategic location as a transportation center and gateway to Oregon. To learn more about the exciting future of eastern Oregon's largest city, go to www.hermiston.or.us.