Ovid, Michigan
August 1, 2005
In 1921, Fritz
Mantey filled a need of farmers for high quality corn seed,
harvesting open-pollinated seed corn from his own acres, and
selling it to his neighbors. For more than 85 years, the company
that became Great Lakes Hybrids has kept the integrity of
farmer-to-farmer sales. It continues to be owned and operated by
seedsmen and engaged in strategic partnerships that expand the
capacity for research, while growing the sales market to include
neighboring states. Today,
Great Lakes Hybrids
(GLH) is part of AgReliant Genetics, the largest independent
seed company in North America (4th largest overall), offering
the largest independent corn breeding program in the industry
(4th overall).
AgReliant Genetics is owned by
KWS Seeds and
Limagrain, the two
largest, independent seed companies in the world with more than
200 years of combined seed experience. They are developing
proprietary genetics in a Top-4 corn breeding and research
program utilizing their own molecular marker lab and proprietary
doubled-haploid technology. Their seed production
features state-of-the-art harvesting and conditioning equipment
including new color sorter technology. Seed is the only
priority.
A NEW GENERATION OF RESEARCH
The year 2006 marks a turning point not only for
Great Lakes Hybrids but for the entire seed industry. With the
introduction of the world’s most advanced doubled-haploid
breeding program, AgReliant and Great Lakes now have the ability
to produce genetically pure strains in 70 percent less time than
ever before. For the farmer, this means hybrids will be brought
to market at a dramatically faster pace, with accelerated gains
in yield and profitability.
Even more important than their breeding
technologies, Great Lakes Hybrids offers its own proprietary
germplasm, the product of decades of aggressive development. In
2005, AgReliant Genetics tested more than 50,000 new genetic
combinations which yielded 24 new hybrids from 19 unique, new
genetic lines.
Great Lakes has access to proprietary germplasm
from their own worldwide network of more than 130 breeding
stations, research locations, and gene technology labs. And
because Great Lakes is independent from any trait supplier, they
have the flexibility to combine their best germplasm with
high-demand value-added traits.
INTRODUCING THE G3 SERIES
Great weed control. Great insect protection. And
the Great genetics that produced 56 NCGA winners and 60
F.I.R.S.T. champions in just two years. All in one high-value
hybrid series. That’s the new G3 series from Great Lakes
Hybrids.
One big advantage of doubled haploid
breeding: it cuts two years off the development of traited
hybrids. With the new doubled-haploid G3 series, Great Lakes
launches the first look at what brand manager Mike
Stephenson sees as the ultimate intersection of technology
and nature. “You can’t argue with nature,” said Stephenson,
“But you can make some strong suggestions.”
And suggest they have. Great Lakes has
developed four of its top champions as triple-stacked
hybrids, effectively marrying the world’s top breeding
technology, germplasm and yield protection in one hybrid
series. Those hybrids—4297 G3, 5098 G3, 5961 G3 and Quad-5
G3—are available in Great Lakes’ 2006 offerings.
GENERATIONS AHEAD
In line with its emerging genetic leadership,
Great Lakes is launching an aggressive marketing blitz
that’s as bold and unique as the technology that spawned it.
Built on the tag line, “Generations Ahead”, the campaign
features outsized messages, doubled type, and a streamlined
design concept, complete with double helix. There is also a
complete new line of collateral materials, a redesigned
website and an energetic launch with our entire sales and
dealer force.
“It’s a bold position,” said marketing
manager Doug Little. “But we’ve got one of the great
breeding technologies of the last hundred years and almost a
century’s worth of championship germplasm. We’re looking at
a bold new world.”
The
GLH website
features the seed industry’s first use of Blogs (or web
logs). Great Lakes is using this technology to keep their
staff, dealers and customers up to date on the latest
agronomic trends. The blog is updated by agronomists and
other registered users on a daily basis and will soon be a
trusted industry resource for the latest agronomic news.
Blogs are also going to be installed in the travel, product
and dealer/staff login areas.
“The idea of using blogs was presented to us
by the company doing our web hosting, VisibleBits, and it
really fit with our new market positioning,” adds Clint
Hawks, communications manager. “We’d really like to see our
agronomy blog be the place on the web to come for all news
and trends related to corn, soybean and alfalfa production.”
The rest of the website is backed with
information about corn breeding, doubled-haploid breeding,
the process of creating hybrids, seed production and quality
and much more. The Great Lakes travel programs, employment
opportunities and user testimonials are also featured. By
August, a new seed selector feature will be available that
will allow farmers to input their exact seed needs and the
website will return the GLH products that best fit those
needs. Then the user will be able to compare the results of
that search to find the best seed fit for their specific
situation.
Great Lakes Hybrids is the largest Michigan-based
seed corn supplier and a brand of AgReliant Genetics, LLC. With
the industry’s fourth-largest research program, Great Lakes
Hybrids and AgReliant Genetics have been able to produce
top-performing conventional genetics for incorporation of new
transgenic traits. Great Lakes Hybrids has also produced more
winners per entry of any other seed company in the National Corn
Grower’s annual Corn Yield Contest. |
