Valent BioSciences Corporation (VBC) marked the official opening of its new $146 million biorational manufacturing facility in Osage, IA in a ceremony that included more than 130 international dignitaries, state and local VIPs, and media personnel. VBC is the global leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products for agriculture, public health, and forestry.
Located on an expansive 73-acre site, the new 130,000 square foot plant is the largest purpose-built biorational facility in the world and will serve as the manufacturing and quality control center for VBC’s broad portfolio of fermentation products. VBC brands are derived from biological origins and provide economic, health, and environmental benefits for agriculture, public health, and forestry markets in 95 countries around the globe.
“This is a landmark day for Valent BioSciences, our parent Sumitomo Chemical Company (SCC), and for the entire biorational segment,” said Ted Melnik, VBC Executive Vice President and COO. “Not only does this investment reflect the rapid growth of our business and validate the value of biorational technology in the marketplace, it puts us in the position to meet the rising demand for our products as we continue to develop new and innovative solutions for our customers around the world.”
The opening of the new plant comes on the heels of VBC’s acquisition of Pace International, LLC (Pace), in early 2013 and its announcement of a long term strategic alliance with Biomar Microbial Technologies (Biomar) in February of this year. The Pace acquisition made SCC the first multinational supplier to offer both conventional and biorational product solutions for seed, preharvest crop production, and preharvest and postharvest crop protection applications. The Biomar alliance will create a new pipeline of industry leading, science-based products with additional work being conducted at Valent BioSciences’ research facility at Long Grove, IL.
VBC currently manufactures microbial insecticides, nematicides, and plant growth regulators used in production agriculture for managing plant growth, quality and stress in crops.
About Valent BioSciences Corporation
Headquartered in Libertyville, IL, Valent BioSciences is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Company. Valent BioSciences is the worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of biorational products, with sales in 95 countries around the world. Valent BioSciences is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.valentbiosciences.com.
About Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Sumitomo Chemical Company is one of Japan’s leading chemical companies, offering a diverse range of products globally in the fields of basic chemicals, petrochemicals, IT-related chemicals and materials, health and crop science products, and pharmaceuticals. The company’s total consolidated sales for fiscal year 2013 were JPY 2.24 trillion. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/.
About Pace International LLC
Pace International LLC collaborates with growers, packers and agricultural organizations to develop innovative solutions to enhance, protect, and preserve fruit and vegetable quality. Pace is the leading provider of postharvest solutions and technologies, equipment and technical services to maximize efficiencies in packing operations and increase the value of crops being processed. Pace International LLC is headquartered in Wapato, Washington, USA with Sales and Technical Service Offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.paceint.com.
About Biomar Microbial Technologies
Headquartered in Leon, Spain, Biomar Microbial Technologies is an independent company specialized in marine biotechnology, with one of the world's largest collections of marine microorganisms. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.biomarmicrobialtechnologies.com.