DLF’s North American business unit announced this week that a Product Knowledge Center will open this summer in Philomath.
The company said the center, located on the south side of Chapel Drive east of the South 19th Street intersection, will enhance DLF’s product evaluation, field trials and technical support capabilities with the goal of creating a stronger collaboration between product management, marketing and sales.
DLF is a global seed company owned by Danish seed farmers with more than 2,100 employees in 22 countries worldwide. The company is also establishing a Product Knowledge Center in Port Hope, Ontario, with both operations scheduled to officially open on July 1.
“There are many great activities happening in Philomath and Port Hope today, and we want those activities to continue,” said Neil Douglas, DLF North American’s executive vice president. “Our vision for these centers is to prominently feature everything the DLF portfolio has to offer, from bentgrass to alfalfa to new innovations in seed enhancement. These locations are important to demonstrate the value of our product innovation, training customers and staff, and for collaborating with key industry partners.”
The Willamette Valley, being close to many of DLF’s key U.S. grower partners, is an area the company plans to continue investing in. The Philomath and Port Hope Product Knowledge Centers will remain the host sites for DLF’s Seed Camps and ongoing customer education activities, and DLF’s new seed enhancement and operations facility in Albany serves as the U.S. headquarters.
As part of the move to advance DLF’s strategic efforts to strengthen its breeding and product management programs, the company said it will consolidate independent research stations currently in Philomath and Touchet, Washington. The result will be a single multi-species breeding station at Touchet.
“Unifying our programs will enhance collaboration, knowledge sharing and trial quality across DLF’s forage and turf species,” said Derek Bartlem, DLF executive vice president and chief scientific officer. “A single, well-staffed station will strengthen our R&D (research and development) activities and ensure we continue to deliver new high-quality forage and turf products, while at the same time provide long-term career growth opportunities for our employees.”
Currently, both breeding stations operate independently with a focus on different species and at minimum critical mass. By consolidating its Pacific Northwest breeding operations in Touchet, the company believes it can create a stronger, more resilient breeding station that better supports its research and development goals — all while keeping its full research and development staff.
The unified breeding location complements DLF’s additional Midwest breeding station in West Salem, Wisconsin.