MORGAN HILL, CA - Sakata Seed America has been serving the North American produce industry from its headquarters in Morgan Hill, California, since 1988. With its latest expansion play, the company announced two new establishments in Salinas Valley and Woodland, California. All of the supplier’s operations and personnel functions are in the process of being relocated to its new 219-acre site in Woodland, California, with expected completion by late 2024.

“The expansion of our Woodland Innovation Center (WIC) is an exciting and necessary step for the future of Sakata,” commented Dave Armstrong, President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we broaden our leadership position in a range of warm crops, it’s imperative that we support our growing business and deepen our roots in one of the world’s most dynamic growing regions: the ‘Silicon Valley of seed.’ Our headquarters relocation to Woodland reflects our commitment to California’s vital agriculture and seed sectors, and the investment enables us to consolidate R&D and multiple other functions on a single, state-of-the-art campus.”

This relocation to the Woodland Innovation Center will follow the second phase of a comprehensive infrastructure expansion project, which kicked off back in 2016. The WIC officially opened in 2018, marking the completion of phase one of the project, which featured 16 acres of operational facilities, including greenhouses, a LEED-certified office, headhouse, washery, a 25,000-square-foot warehouse, featuring the latest technology in seed processing equipment, and a farm shop.

There is also ample farmland to host Sakata’s annual California Field Days event and serve as a permanent trialing location for the company’s expanding breeding programs and research and development department, a press release noted.

Further expanding its presence in California’s major agricultural centers, Sakata also opened a new facility near Salinas, in Marina, California, earlier this year. The 20,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled warehouse and office building is now home to the company’s lettuce seed program. In the future, the facility will store and deliver multiple species, including the company’s robust brassica program, for the Coastal California region in 2024.

“We aim to supply high-quality seed and market-leading genetics to the Salinas Valley, a community in which we’ve grown and operated since 1985,” said John Nelson, Executive Vice President. “Marina is centrally located in the area and provides us with all means necessary to support our innovative breeding programs, as well as our growth in the Salinas Valley and neighboring growing regions.”

Sakata Seed America is recognized for its strong brand presence and market share in the broccoli category, and the company has made key investments to bolster its standing in multiple other markets. The supplier focuses on integrating a network of research stations throughout North America to foster collaboration for its global breeding team on tomato, pepper, watermelon, melon, and more. This includes Sakata’s recently opened Culiacán Innovation Center in Mexico.

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Sakata Seed America