ST. LOUIS — Monsanto said it plans to close three research and development centers in Mystic, Conn.; Research Triangle Park, N.C.; and Middleton, Wis., in 2016. Certain operations will be relocated to Monsanto’s Chesterfield Village Research Center in St. Louis.
The centers in Middleton and Mystic focus on seed trait development research, while the center in Research Triangle Park focuses on plant screening and phenotyping.
News of the facility closings comes after Monsanto earlier this year said it was focusing on developing its Chesterfield Village R.&D. site as its Global R.&D. Center of Excellence. The company’s action is expected to enable it to unlock synergies across its R.&D. platforms and enable it to drive greater scale of the company’s R.&D. programs. Specifically, the moves are designed to enable stronger collaboration, create efficiencies in operations and communications and reinforce the convergence of broad R.&D. platforms.
“We look forward to continuing to further enhance our Global R.&D. Center of Excellence here in St. Louis,” said Tom Adams, biotechnology lead for Monsanto. “This action will allow our business to continue to grow our connections across our R.&D. operations and build upon our long history in the St. Louis region.”
Monsanto is in the midst of a more than $400 million expansion at its Chesterfield Village Research Center. The company currently has approximately 900 employees at its Chesterfield site. As a result of the facility closings in Mystic, Research Triangle Park and Middleton, Monsanto said it expects to relocate up to 65 roles to the company’s research headquarters in St. Louis.
