Syngenta completes facility expansion in Iowa

Syngenta announced the completion of an $8.3 million expansion at its Slater, Iowa, parent seed production facility. The Slater plant will supply Syngenta seed production sites in North America the corn parent seed necessary to produce single-cross hybrid seed.

According to Aaron Sinclair, Slater plant manager, the objective of this investment is to enable Syngenta to better meet the growing demand for seed corn, providing farmers access to the technologies and products necessary to grow more corn to feed an increasing global population. It will allow processing of completely new product lines through the Slater facility, and an increase in unit production of 20 percent.

"This expansion also demonstrates our commitment to the community -- and to thinking like a grower," Sinclair said. "Our goal is to provide farmers more choice in the technologies and products they need to be successful."

The Slater site expansion includes a new:

• Green corn receiving facility;
• Shelling and conditioning towers; and a
• Climate-controlled warehouse, additional shipping docks and expanded office space

The main production facility in Slater was built in 1986, and was previously a Garst Corn Seed production site until 2004 when Syngenta acquired Garst. Sinclair adds that employment at the Slater facility has increased to 17, and that additional seasonal employees will be added at critical times of the year to support operations.