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Started in 1917 by the
Wilk and Gunkelman Families, Interstate Seed served America's Upper
Midwest for more than half a century as a farm-seed and car-lot
trading company. Interstate Seed remained a family-owned corporation
until purchased in 1983 by Vanderhave B.V., a Netherlands company with
the ability through its international network to better expand
Interstate's sales and expertise throughout the world.
Sunflower acreage
declined rapidly in the
U.S.
during the mid 1980s, and Vanderhave decided to purchase a U.S.-based
corn company. In 1988, Vanderhave purchased Payco Seed Company and
operated it as a standalone entity until 1991 when the two companies
merged to form Interstate Payco Seed Company.
In 1997, Vanderhave
B.V. and Zeneca Ag combined their seed companies into a new company
called Advanta, in which each parent company owned half. On January 1,
2000, one corporate company was established in the United States for
all Advanta Companies. The new company is Advanta USA, Inc., of which
Interstate Seed Company is a business unit. Other Advanta business
units are Garst/AgriPro and AgriPro Wheat. |
