Aneesha Johnson, plant manager at Corteva Agriscience in Valdosta
Valdosta welcomes Corteva Agriscience to its manufacturing community. While Corteva Agriscience is a product of the 2017 Dow Chemical and DuPont merger, Valdosta has been home to a DuPont manufacturing facility for more than 20 years.
With a long history as a leader in the production of agricultural products, under the DuPont name, the Valdosta facility has experienced several growth phases including a 150,000-square-foot logistics center, which serves as a global distribution point for the company’s crop protection products.
The DowDuPont merger created three independent and publicly traded companies—Dow, DuPont, and Corteva Agriscience—each with different areas of focus.
Corteva Agriscience, which means heart and nature, is now the world largest publicly traded company focused exclusively on the agriculture market. Through research and production of agriculture solutions, the mission of Corteva Agriscience is to help farmers safely and sustainably feed the world.
“It is more than a name change, we have become an independent company,” says Aneesha Johnson, plant manager at Corteva Agriscience in Valdosta. “In terms of the Valdosta plant, there will be an expansion of products formulated as we begin producing some of the products that were made in Dow facilities.”
Douglas Scott is checking the viscosity of a sample in the lab at Corteva Agriscience in Valdosta
The Valdosta facility will now formulate, package, and ship liquid insecticides and liquid fungicides throughout North America under the Corteva Agriscience brand.
With more than 70 full-time employees and approximately 50 seasonal workers, Johnson expects to hire additional workers to handle the production of the new products.
“These jobs will represent highly skilled manufacturing positions,” says Johnson, who serves a member of the board of directors for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority. “As part of a company-wide effort, we give preference in hiring veterans, and this is especially beneficial to us in Valdosta. We work closely with Moody (Air Force Base) in recruiting veteran employees.”
The Corteva Agriscience family now includes DuPont Crop Protection, DuPont Pioneer, and Dow AgroSciences. While the name and corporate branding are new, Corteva Agriscience represents a robust portfolio of agricultural products, nearly a century of agronomic expertise, and an unparalleled innovation engine.
Johnson says the changes are positive. “Before DuPont made products for multiple industries and uses; and now with Corteva, decisions are made completely based on the needs of growers and the agriculture industry.”
While agriculture is Georgia’s No. 1 industry—representing more than $73 billion and employing one in seven people—Johnson says it’s important that the Corteva Agriscience facility in Valdosta continues to enhance the sustainable growth and success within the crop protection business.
Irene Pufong is testing a sample in the lab at Corteva Agriscience in Valdosta
“Here in Valdosta we are creating products that help farmers all across the country improve the quality and yield of their crops,” says Johnson. “Whether farmers apply the insecticides or fungicides directly on the plants or if they plant seeds that have been pre-treated to resist insects, all the products we develop help give growers their best yield.”