Lindsay, Ont. - Pickseed Cos. Group purchased the Seed Research of Oregon, which was owned buy Land O’Lakes. Additionally, Land O’Lakes purchased Seeds Ohio, a regional seed distributor based in West Jefferson, Ohio, that was owned by Pickseed. The transactions closed December 31, 2004.
SRO will operate as an independent business unit of Pickseed in its Corvallis, Ore., facility under the direction of the current management team. SRO will continue its initiatives in research, technical support, quality assurance and customer service, including the supply of turf and forage grass seed to Land O’Lakes.
“The acquisition of Seed Research of Oregon represents significant market share expansion for Pickseed within United States and international markets,” said Robert Clark, president and c.e.o. of Pickseed.
Dave Seehusen, vice president of the seed division for Land O’Lakes, said SRO will become a core asset of Pickseed and a key supplier of competitive turf grass products to Land O’Lakes’, Seed Solutions’ and Croplan Genetics’ marketing programs.
The Pickseed Companies Group is comprised of Pickseed Canada, Pickseed West, Turf-One and Mapleseed. It has been operating since 1947 and is privately held.
Land O’Lakes is a national farmer-owned food and agricultural cooperative with annual sales in excess of $6 billion.