Dow AgroSciences seed arm to expand Ont. cereal lab

A Dow AgroSciences seed breeding subsidiary in Eastern Canada plans to expand its cereal research in southwestern Ontario by buying a facility from the subsidiary's former owner for lab space.

Hyland Seeds, a Dow Agro division based at Blenheim, Ont., said Tuesday it will buy the Thompsons Ltd. site on Ross Sideroad south of Nairn, Ont., about 25 km northwest of London.

A purchase price wasn't disclosed but Hyland said it will use the site to upgrade and expand its own cereal research lab at Nairn and is "targeting" a move-in date of July 1.

"The move to this new facility will allow us to upgrade our cereal lab, our equipment, and our staff facilities," Hyland Seeds general manager John Cowan said in the company's release.

"Thompsons and Hyland have a long history together and we are happy to help facilitate some of the growth they are experiencing through the sale of the Ross Sideroad site," Thompsons president Wes Thompson said in the same release.

Thompsons had owned the Hyland Seeds business and sold it to Dow in 2009. The sale gave Dow AgroSciences Hyland's germplasm as well as its research and development program and three R+D sites, plus a corn production facility.

Hyland, which bills itself as the "northern tier" genetics and seed trait business leader, is best known in Ontario, Quebec and the northern U.S., but has made inroads in Manitoba's corn, soy and dry bean sectors and in corn for the livestock sector in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Thompsons offers various services such as grain handling, food grain processing and packaging, seed treatment and custom fertilizing. Its seed business deals in Hyland Seeds products exclusively, including soybeans, corn and forages as well as cereals.