from a press release | October 8, 1999
WAIALUA, Hawaii - Today, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., officially opened a new seed corn production facility in Waialua on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. The plant will further strengthen the company's ability to quickly deliver the latest plant genetics to market.
"The Oahu facility allows us to continuously grow seed throughout the year," says Don Miles, corn production manager for Pioneer. "We're growing the newest inbreds and experimental hybrids from research in a wide range of maturities. Spring, summer and fall crops will help us turn new products around quickly. As a result, we'll be able to stay ahead of the demand for Pioneer corn genetics."
Construction of the $8.5 million, 30,000-square-foot facility began nine months ago on 10 acres of land just south of Waialua. The plant was completed in August. The new facility includes state-of-the-art drying equipment that will help Pioneer produce the highest quality seed possible. Running at full capacity, the production operation will annually pick, dry, shell and ship 50,000 units in bulk back to the mainland, where the corn will be conditioned and packaged.
The newest Pioneer plant is part of an international network of 74 seed production facilities in 24 countries that delivers the latest plant genetics advancements to customers around the globe.
The Oahu facility is the second Pioneer plant located in Hawaii. The first was built in 1968 on Kauai. Pioneer also built a new research facility on Kauai last spring.
"Two seed production facilities located on different islands give us much more flexibility and a greater range of planting and harvest dates," says Francisco Lynch, Pioneer location manager in Hawaii. "The two sites help us spread our risk against disease and environmental conditions because weather and soils are different in each location. One bonus that Oahu offers is the fact that there's never been a recorded hurricane on the island."
Pioneer also was attracted to Oahu because of a group of established agricultural producers there. Pioneer will contract up to 1,000 acres of corn each year through these local growers. In addition, the company plans to hire more than a dozen local full-time employees and 30 to 40 seasonal workers at its parent corn facility. The operation will add more than $5 million annually to the local economy.
The addition of the Oahu plant is another example of the many ways Pioneer works throughout North America and the world to provide growers with top-quality products that will ultimately increase their profitability and success.
