West Sacramento, CA – Bayer CropScience has opened a new research and development facility in West Sacramento, California to support the company’s work in developing improved seeds and crop protection products.

According to the Germany-based company, the new $80 million facility, which will serve as the global headquarters of Bayer CropScience’s Biologics Business, is situated on 10 acres of land and features a 100,000-square-foot building and a 35,000-square-foot pilot plant to support research and development of biological crop protection products.

In addition, a 30,000-square-foot vegetable seeds research building and a 2,000-square-foot greenhouse will be on-site with five acres of nearby land for future greenhouse space.

“We are investing heavily in R&D infrastructure such as laboratories, greenhouses and breeding stations as well as new production capacities and seed processing facilities,” said Bayer CropScience CEO Liam Condon, adding that the company aims to grow faster than the US market.

Bayer CropScience plans to invest close to $1 billion in capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the US States over the next several years, mainly to ramp up research and development and to expand a world-class product supply of its top crop protection brands.

In addition to building its R&D network in the US, the company is also investing significantly in the production capacities of the facilities manufacturing its crop protection products.

The company has expanded the capacity of its facilities in Muskegon, Michigan and Kansas City, Missouri, and recently completed the construction of a new plant in Mobile, Alabama to produce its agricultural-grade ‘Liberty’ weed killer.

Bayer CropScience also invested $17 million in the expansion of its Memphis Research and Development site, bringing total greenhouse capacity at the facility to 76,000 square feet.

Located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the Memphis facility works on developing high quality cotton and soybean varieties, as well as trait innovations.

In June 2014, the company announced plans to expand its North American and global seeds headquarters in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina.

The RTP site has experienced significant operational growth in recent years, and approximately $200 million will be invested through 2016.

The company also plans to invest approximately $90 million in its Cotton Research and Development Laboratory in Lubbock, Texas.

Founded in 1998, the company’s global cotton headquarters is focused on providing cotton growers with the products and solutions they need to meet the world’s growing demand for fiber.

According to a statement from Bayer CropScience, its overall RTP investment program in the US includes several additional projects – the construction of the Development North America facility dedicated to crop protection and environmental science research; renovations to its North American headquarters; construction of a 6,000 square-foot North American Bee Care Center; and the purchase of 70 acres of land to accommodate a new 29,500 square-foot greenhouse.

09/08/2014