Garst Seed Company recently announced the promotion of Mike Schaefer to soybean product manager. Schaefer will be based at the company’s brand headquarters in Slater, Iowa.

“Mike Schaefer brings 22 years of sales, management and marketing experience to his new position as soybean product manager,” says Steve Klein, head of marketing for Garst. “Mike was instrumental in leading his team to increased product sales. He knows Garst’s products and our customers, and will be able to use this knowledge in building Garst’s soybean lineup.”

As the soybean product manager, Schaefer will oversee the marketing and development of customer programs for Garst’s soybean product lineup.

Prior to his promotion to soybean product manager, Schaefer spent 16 years as a district sales manager for Garst® brand seed and AgriPro Seeds. Prior to joining Garst, Schaefer held several managerial roles with other Midwest companies. Schaefer earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Iowa State University.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides seed solutions for growers across North America with high yielding corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa and sunflower products.

Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. Syngenta is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2004 were approximately $7.3 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT)

Garst® is a trademark of Garst Seed Company.