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Dupont to build new NW?Iowa research center

By Staff | Sep 3, 2010

ORANGE CITY – DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred announced last week it will open a new corn research center in northwest Iowa.

The new research center will be located in Orange City, , in Sioux County, and will provide expanded development and testing of new commercial corn hybrids for farmers in northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska, southeast South Dakota and southwest Minnesota.

“The new research center will further expand our efforts to provide products that fit the specific needs of farmers in this area,” said John Soper, vice president of Pioneer Crop Genetics Research and Development. “This investment in local product development and testing reinforces our commitment to help farmers get the right product on the right acre to maximize productivity.”

Pioneer expects to break ground for the new research center early this fall and to begin operations officially in the spring of 2011, after construction is complete.

However, Pioneer already began research expansion in the surrounding area during summer of 2010 with increased acres for experimental hybrid testing in eastern Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota and western Iowa.

The Orange City Research Center is expected to employ about nine full-time positions once it is fully operational. In addition, Pioneer will hire approximately 60 temporary employees at the center during portions of the growing season.

The northwest Iowa research center is one of seveaal investments Pioneer is making to expand both its research and production locations in North America including a research center in in Johnston.