European big ag company chooses St. Louis

A German agricultural company specializing in plant breeding is bringing its research work to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center campus in St. Louis.

KWS, which employs 4,800 across 70 countries, plans to open the Gateway Research Center at the existing BRDG Park and hire roughly 100 workers during the first few years of research, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
 It would be KWS’ first molecular plant research facility in North America.

The radio station says St. Louis was narrowly selected over other sites, including North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, where several major seed companies have a presence. KWS is receiving a number of state and local incentives in making the move, including up to $1.7 million from the Missouri Works program and $85,000 in Missouri Works Training.

According to St. Louis Public Radio, KWS is the fourth-largest seed company in the world and had $1.4 billion in net sales last year.
 
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