Garst Seed Company recently announced the promotion of Mark Lawson to Regional Sales Manager (RSM) for the company’s east region.

“It is always a pleasure to recognize the hard work and dedication of a long-time Garst employee like Mark,” says Gene Kassmeyer, eastern sales manager for Garst Seed Company. “Mark has a wealth of experience and a true enthusiasm for agriculture, his career and for Garst customers. As a grower himself, he is able to provide both knowledge and practical advice. He will be a tremendous asset in this new position.”

As regional sales manager, Lawson will supervise Garst’s business development in the east region. He’ll work closely with Garst district sales managers and sales representatives in Kentucky, Ohio and central and southern Indiana.

Lawson has nearly 40 years of experience in agriculture, including as a farmer, crop consultant, agronomist and district sales manager for Garst Seed Company. During the course of his career, he was part of the product development team that served as area agronomists for AgriPro’s east central region, which included all states east of the Mississippi River. When Garst bought AgriPro, Lawson stayed with the company and has worked as a Garst agronomist for the past 12 years in the Atlantic region. His career achievements include developing the silage-training module used on the Garst Website and writing Garst’s Silage Production Manual. In 2003-2004, Lawson was named Garst Agronomist of the Year. He and his wife Donna Mae live on their cattle and grain farm near Danville, Indiana.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides innovative seed solutions for growers across North America with high yielding corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa and sunflower products. For more information about Garst products, contact your local Garst ProSeller or visit Garst’s Website at www.garstseed.com.

Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs more than 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com.