Valent names new SR. director of sales

Valent U.S.A. Corporation announced Matt Plitt has joined the company as senior director of sales for its growing agricultural business unit. In his new role, Plitt will oversee the national sales direction and efforts for the companys full portfolio of traditional and biorational agricultural crop protection products.

A 13-year veteran of the agricultural sales and retail industries, Plitt has held sales and marketing leadership positions at American Cyanamid, BASF Crop Protection USA, Agriliance LLC and, most recently, as director of business operations at RiceCo, LLC.

Valent Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Blome said Plitts strong experience at both the basic manufacturer and retailer levels will be invaluable as Valent continues to deepen relationships with its customers.

"Matt will have a strong role on Valents leadership team," Blome said. "In addition, I am confident he will build productive partnerships with our customers as Valent continues to develop and market a growing pipeline of innovative products."

Plitt joins Valent at an important time of growth for the company. The current Valent portfolio includes such major brands as Valor and Chateau Herbicides, Select Max Herbicide with Inside Technology, Belay Insecticide, INOVATE System for soybean seed protection, and key biorational products such as DiPel Biological Insecticide and ReTain and ProTone Plant Growth Regulators. And with several new product offerings on the horizon-including RyzUp SmartGrass Plant Growth Regulator and an anticipated 2011 registration and launch of Fierce Herbicide-the new senior director of sales said "strong relationships with customers will be essential to making sure these new technologies and services are available to growers."

"Having worked with Valent as a partner in previous roles, I know this company is widely respected for having very good people, excellent products and-through relationships with Valent BioSciences Corporation and Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited-strong access to the next generation of crop protection and enhancement technologies," Plitt said. "I want our customers to understand my role is to focus on their needs and make sure our technologies are helping improve their work and, ultimately, their crops."

Originally from Baton Rouge, LA, Plitt earned both an undergraduate degree and a masters of business administration from Delta State University. Throughout his career, Plitt has spent time across a variety of key agricultural geographies, including the Midsouth, Pacific Northwest, West Coast, Atlantic and Midwest regions.