Huron, South Dakota
March 9, 2007
A milestone has been reached by the globally respected
Pannar Seed brand in the U.S. with the merging of Pannar
Genetics Inc. with Pannar Seed Inc. Pannar Genetics Inc. has
been the research and development arm for the Huron-based retail
seed company, Pannar Seed Inc. The merged entity will assume the
Pannar Seed Inc. identity.
The Director in charge of the Seed Division, Matt Foley,
believes that the merger will provide a greatly improved
platform between research scientist and grower. Better customer
service lies at the heart of this merger, and is a priority in
all Pannar Seed’s decision-making. “Our intent is to focus on
our level of customer service,” explains Foley. “We are now
meshing the genetics expertise of our research and development
team with the agronomic support that our sales team provides to
our growers. In so doing we can build a more transparent
relationship, bolstering a business model committed to
seed-based solutions for the regional grower that we serve. The
resources of the new Pannar Seed Inc. are nearly doubled through
this transaction, with a focus on a much broader acreage of the
Corn Belt.”
According to Andrew Jarvie, International Director for the South
African-based Pannar Group, the merger of the two companies,
which were acquired in separate transactions in 2001 and 2005
respectively, will bring about increased efficiencies on the
management side and result in better utilization of facilities
and people, leading to more rapid advances of elite genetics to
our customers.
Pannar Seed’s impressive product line-up includes these
industry-leading traits: HERCULEX®I; HERCULEX®I/Roundup Ready®
Corn 2; HERCULEX® XTRA; Roundup Ready® Corn 2; YieldGard® Corn
Borer; YieldGard® Rootworm; YieldGard® Plus; YieldGard VT
Triple™.
According to Foley, what continues to set Pannar Seed Inc. apart
from some of its main competitors is its emphasis on genetics
developed exclusively for the upper and central Midwest. “Our
focus on regional product testing and plant breeding, results in
hybrids developed expressly for the field conditions experienced
by our growers. The combination of leading industry traits with
our genetics puts us at the forefront of new product
advancement.”
The plant breeding and research facilities of Pannar Seed are
located in Boone, IA; Brookston, IN; Huron, SD; Kenesaw, NE;
and, Olivia, MN. Dr. Dana Eaton is the Research Director for
Pannar Seed Inc. and is based at the headquarters of the
Genetics Division in Boone, Iowa. Dr. Eaton is very excited
about the merger: “We see the closer partnership with our
in-house retail activity as a major plus in developing leading
genetics for the U.S. market. This will be of benefit to all
Pannar Seed customers. The synergies and efficiencies resulting
from this merger will enable us to further enhance our focus on
trait introgression and genetic development across all
operations in the U.S., Europe, South America and Africa.”
Pannar completed its national branding transition to Pannar
Seed in 2006. While relatively new to the U.S. seed industry,
Pannar was established in 1958 and today has a leading global
seed presence. Based in South Africa, the privately-owned Pannar
Group has firmly established itself in the retail seed business
with its commitment to excellence in genetics, plant breeding,
and customer service. For more information, see
www.pannarusa.com or
www.pannar.com
Pannar Seed Inc. is a member of the Group
HERCULEX™ is a trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Roundup Ready®
and YieldGard® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Company.
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