Beck’s Hybrids acquires Brown Seed Enterprises

Beck’s Hybrids is excited to announce the purchase of the Brown Seed Enterprises seed processing facility in Neoga, Ill. In June 2009, Beck’s Hybrids and Brown Seed Enterprises established a partnership to combine the strength of both companies, enhancing the research, products and services offered to southern Illinois farmers.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to make this announcement,” said Scott Beck, vice president of Beck’s Hybrids. “Our alliance with Dennis Brown and his team at Brown Seed Enterprises has been successful. But as we continue to grow our customer base in southern Illinois, it’s important that we focus on long-term goals for the benefit of our  customers. We believed, along with Dennis, that Beck’s long-term goals of expansion and distribution in southern Illinois could be better achieved through the acquisition of the property and facilities.”

The former Brown Seed Enterprises facility will be utilized to package, warehouse and ship seed to farmers in Beck’s southern marketing area. The agreement includes the purchase of approximately 13 acres, the facilities and equipment, as well as seven full-time employees of Brown Seed Enterprises becoming Beck’s Hybrids employees. “Over the last several years, I have been amazed at Beck’s growth and operational efficiencies,” said Dennis Brown of Brown Seed Enterprises. “This sale is a natural progression of our successful alliance and our mutual goals.”

Dennis Brown will continue to operate his other businesses focused on crop research and technology development. Beck’s Hybrids will utilize the former Brown Seed Enterprise facility to process seed that will be sold and distributed in the area. Beck’s is pursuing the purchase of additional property in the Effingham region to serve as the distribution and Practical Farm Research (PFR)® facility for the seed that is processed at Neoga. Property is still being sought for this new distribution and PFR site.