An Inside Look at Valent BioSciences

An inside look at Valent BioSciences

About us

Valent BioSciences LLC is a worldwide leader in the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products for the agriculture, public health, and forest health markets.

95 countries

Our biorational products are used in conventional, organic, and sustainable operations in 95 countries around the world.

60 years

We have more than 60 years of experience bringing biorational products to market.

THIS BROCHURE offers an overview of our company, facilities, technologies, and people.

The Valent BioSciences product portfolio includes:

Biofungicides

Bioinsecticides

Bionematicides

Plant growth regulators

Biostimulants

Mycorrhizal fungi

Biorationals and Our Businesses

Biorational products are derived from natural or biological origins and are an effective alternative or complement to conventional pesticides and antimicrobials.

THE NEED FOR INNOVATIVE BIORATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES and products has never been greater, and biorational products are both sustainable and highly effective. Biorational products maximize quality, productivity, and sustainability in agricultural production systems while accommodating evolving consumer preferences, environmental stewardship, and public policy, both in the near- and long-term. For public health and forest health systems, biorationals enable safe and effective control of damaging pests.

Valent BioSciences’ parent company, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, aiming to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by its production and business activities.

50%

By 2030, the organization has committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 50%. The development of new biorational products and technologies across the company will be key to advancing the goal of carbon neutrality for society.

Our Businesses

AGRICULTURE

Serves growers as they work to sustainably protect their crops from pests, maximize crop potential, and promote healthy soils and root systems.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Protects against insect-borne illnesses and helps manage nuisance insects with environmentally sustainable interventions.

FOREST HEALTH

Provides sustainable, safe, and economical solutions for managing forest pests that defoliate trees and threaten the global ecosystem.

Our Mission and History

We create biological solutions that sustain global food security and human health—for today and future generations.

VALENT BIOSCIENCES WAS CREATED IN 2000 when Sumitomo Chemical purchased the specialty agriculture and public health assets of Abbott Laboratories. Since that time, Sumitomo Chemical and Valent BioSciences have continued to invest in complementary technologies and facilities to expand our biorational presence and research capacity.

We have achieved success in enhancing our business through organic growth, through acquisitions, and by leveraging our expertise and capabilities to create new opportunities.

Valent BioSciences is created by Sumitomo Chemical’s acquisition of Abbott Laboratories’ specialty agriculture and public health businesses 2000 2014 2013 2015

Valent BioSciences opens its $150 million state-of-the-art biorational manufacturing facility in Osage, Iowa

Wapato, Washington-based Pace International LLC is acquired by Valent BioSciences to enter the postharvest market

Mycorrhizal Applications

LLC, based in Grants

Pass, Oregon, is acquired by Valent BioSciences to enhance its biorational and soil health business

Valent BioSciences opens the Biorational Research Center in Libertyville, Illinois

Valent BioSciences acquires the bioinsecticide-based forest health business of AEF Global

Valent BioSciences announces the addition of a new biostimulant operating unit focused on developing and commercializing biostimulant technologies in the U.S.

The global Biorational Headquarters opens in Libertyville, Illinois, bringing all functional groups under one roof for the first time in company history

Valent BioSciences acquires FBSciences Holdings, Inc., enhancing its portfolio of plant health and crop protection solutions

Our Organization

We help make the world a better place as a part of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.—a global leader in creative solutions for health and crop science. Together with Sumitomo Chemical and our own subsidiary companies, we create best-in-class, sustainable technologies that protect investments in global food security and public health.

Sumitomo Chemical

Sumitomo Chemical develops and markets products to its customers through a business philosophy that drives innovation and integration. With a long history of proven reliability, steadfast quality control, and a commitment to the world’s societies and the environment, Sumitomo Chemical is known for products that create and deliver value.

Valent BioSciences is committed to upholding the Sumitomo business principles—the Sumitomo Spirit—which places a high value on harmony between individuals, society, and nature. We operate with the Sumitomo Spirit mindset, which means to benefit both self and others, recognizing that private and public interests are one and the same. It’s about contributing to society, as well as making a profit.

SUBSIDIARIES OF VALENT BIOSCIENCES

Pace International LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Valent BioSciences. The company is a global leader in postharvest coatings, sanitizers, and postharvest disease management products. Postharvest products improve fruit quality and maintain nutritional value while facilitating longer storage, providing global reach to marketers of many types of high-value crops.

Mycorrhizal Applications LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Valent BioSciences that researches, develops, and markets mycorrhizal fungi products that accelerate plant vigor by increasing the surface-absorbing area of roots, producing a healthier root system. These specialized fungi colonize plant roots to create a symbiotic root and mycelial network within the surrounding soils, increasing efficiency in nutrient and water absorption to optimize crop yields.

Our Research and Manufacturing Facilities

The state-of-the-art Biorational Research Center (BRC) is located in Libertyville, Illinois, and serves as the hub for the company’s global research, development, and manufacturing support activities, including:

CHEMISTRY touches virtually all areas of biorational research, interacting with other functional groups from the earliest stages of development to final product packaging.

ENTOMOLOGY

plays a vital role in determining the efficacy of candidate and existing biorational crop protection technologies while also gauging impact on non-target, beneficial insects such as pollinators and pest predators.

FERMENTATION

is the process by which most of our biorationals are made. The BRC provides scale-up and process improvement functions that support product development and our Osage, Iowa, manufacturing plant.

FORMULATION AND DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING forms the bridge between fermentation and product finishing and helps us meet highly specific market needs regarding application requirements.

GREENHOUSE RESEARCH

forms the bridge between the earliest stages of product development and large-scale commercial field trials.

PLANT PATHOLOGY focuses on the growing area of fungicide discovery and development.

RHIZOSPHERE AND SOIL HEALTH

activities span the entire BRC, as scientists from every functional group support this rapidly expanding area of our business.

PLANT BIOLOGY

helps researchers test and identify new biorational materials while providing much-needed resources throughout the product development cycle.

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

specializes in producing microorganism strains for highly functional products that cannot be manufactured by chemical synthesis alone.

Biorational Manufacturing

The biorational manufacturing facility in Osage, Iowa, is the largest of its kind in the world and serves as the manufacturing and quality control center for our broad portfolio of fermentation products. This state-of-the-art facility is also home to two important environmental initiatives that support the company on its journey toward carbon neutrality.

Environmental Initiatives

PRAIRIE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Valent BioSciences has reconstructed 37 acres of highly diverse native prairie adjacent to the manufacturing facility. The project has helped establish and support a diverse native habitat for birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, and small wildlife. The prairie features a walking path and is accessible to the local community and schools.

At maturity, the prairie will sequester approximately 170 tons of carbon dioxide annually, helping mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases in the environment.

SOLAR FIELD

Additionally, a 1.5-megawatt solar field is situated on 12 acres adjacent to the prairie restoration project. The field includes 3,432 bifacial solar panels to help ensure the manufacturing facility is powered by renewable energy.

The solar field produces enough energy to offset a portion of the Osage facility’s total annual electricity usage. The amount of electricity generated is enough to power the equivalent of approximately 425 average-sized homes annually.

Diversity of Research

Key to the strength of Valent BioSciences’ R&D pipeline is the Biorational Research Network—a global team of scientists and organizations working collaboratively to develop the world’s strongest and most robust portfolio of sustainable solutions.

SCIENTISTS COLLABORATE across the extensive Biorational Research Network, benefiting from access to world-class experts in crop protection, plant physiology, microbiology, fermentation, chemistry, synthetic biology, and formulation science—all operating at key locations across the globe. In addition to the BRC, some of the key Biorational Research Network members include:

MIDWEST AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER SEYMOUR, ILLINOIS

This expansive farmland research site operated by sister company Valent U.S.A. is dedicated to commercial-scale testing of new formulations, as well as biorational and conventional pipeline molecules. The farm features a commercial facility, training conference center, and seed treatment demonstration laboratory.

LATIN AMERICA RESEARCH CENTER

MOGI MIRIM CITY, S Ã O PAULO, BRAZIL

This research and development facility operated by Sumitomo Brazil conducts work that helps accelerate development of products for the Latin American market and others worldwide. The facility provides an important Southern Hemisphere base to extend the window for research opportunities each year.

THE BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION CENTER BACCON, FRANCE

At this field research station operated by Philagro France, which is suitable for growing most of the annual and seasonal crops cultivated in Europe, scientists conduct early assessments of molecules designed to protect plants from pests and diseases. Coordinated laboratory and field trials help contribute to the development of effective biorational products for end users worldwide.

HEALTH AND CROP SCIENCES RESEARCH LABORATORY TAKARAZUKA, HYOGO PREFECTURE, JAPAN

Sumitomo Chemical’s Health and Crop Sciences Research Laboratory features a dedicated Biorational Unit. The biorational focus and close collaboration enable Valent BioSciences to broaden its biorational research programs and activities, as well as launch various synthetic biology projects that will spark new opportunities in this burgeoning field.

Biorationals and Sustainability

WHILE DEFINITIONS CAN BE VARIOUS AND COMPLEX, sustainability is ultimately a measure of a system’s capacity to endure.

In agriculture, public health, and forest health, biorationals fortify this capacity in two related ways:

1) biorationals provide end users with effective solutions proven to have low impact on workers and the environment;

2) biorationals provide professionals who serve these markets with much-needed alternatives that help keep their businesses viable and relevant for future generations.

Today’s growers are required to produce more food than ever before while at the same time reducing environmental impact. Some governments, especially in the E.U. and the U.S., are requiring re-registration of hundreds of pest control products to meet more restrictive sustainability standards. In the private sector, many food companies have responded by establishing in-house sourcing and supplier protocols that are even more stringent than those imposed by their respective governments. Valent BioSciences biorationals deliver value on both fronts.

In public health, mosquito abatement professionals often depend on Valent BioSciences biorational larvicides in their integrated vector management programs. Much like forest health, wide area pesticide applications for mosquito control are often made in and around areas where people live, work, and play. Since biorationals are highly effective on target pests but are safe for humans and other non-target organisms, they offer uniquely sustainable solutions that maximize human potential.

Valent BioSciences and its Biorational Research Center specialize in developing products that meet the evolving demands of society and markets toward a sustainable future.

Valent BioSciences Contributes to Sustainable

Development Goals

In 2015, nearly 200 member countries of the United Nations adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change by the year 2030. Valent BioSciences technologies and programs directly impact more than half of these audacious goals:

Valent BioSciences’ products help global agriculture deliver healthy food—among the most basic of human needs. Our biorationals also help battle disease vectors that strain local and regional economies.

Ending world hunger means helping the food value chain produce affordable, nutritious, and high-quality food in a sustainable manner—all integral to the Valent BioSciences mission.

Biorationals promote good health and well-being through a healthy diet rich with fruits and vegetables, as well as protection from debilitating insect-borne diseases.

Educating the next generation of stakeholders is central to Valent BioSciences’ operations. As an industry leader, Valent BioSciences helps train a variety of stakeholder groups in the adoption of sustainable biorational technologies.

The Valent Council on Diversity and Inclusion helps advance gender equality throughout our organization. We work with outside organizations to diversify our talent pipeline and have also made unconscious bias training part of employee learning plans.

A climate of excellence based on societal well-being and technological innovation is the cornerstone of Valent BioSciences’ mission.

In addition to products that reduce losses from planting through postharvest, Valent BioSciences’ manufacturing proactively reduces CO2 consumption, energy consumption, and water usage through sustainable manufacturing practices.

Sustainable cities and communities need low-input technologies to maintain both rural and urban settings, as well as centers of operation (such as manufacturing) that drive prosperity.

Valent BioSciences provides powerful and proven biorational innovations that contribute proactively to plant health and soil health.

Our Businesses

Valent BioSciences has an extensive and growing portfolio of sustainable biorational products to support growers, mosquito abatement districts, and forest health professionals as they rise to the challenge. On the next pages, we will provide you with an overview of each business operating unit within our organization.

Biorationals in Agriculture

Today’s growers are required to produce more food than ever while, at the same time, reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. Biorationals are a key tool for growers, as they offer proven and effective performance in sustainable production systems. They provide valuable solutions when existing, traditional chemistries are no longer available due to regulatory changes or are no longer effective due to resistance. They also have an excellent worker safety profile and low impact on the environment.

Crop Enhancement

Crop enhancement solutions leverage the science of plant growth regulators (PGRs) to supplement the crop’s growth and development. PGRs help growers optimize physiological characteristics that determine yield and/or crop quality. PGR benefits may include improved fruit set, color, shape, shelf life, or a host of other variables that determine value.

Use of PGRs can vary depending on the crop, intended use, and geographical region. New and exciting use patterns are constantly being discovered by our expert team of scientists.

KEY CROP ENHANCEMENT PRODUCTS:

ReTain ® Plant Growth Regulator extends the harvest window and enhances fruit quality for tree fruit growers; it also offers unique advantages related to fruit set in apples and nuts.

ProGibb® Plant Growth Regulator is the most advanced GA3 product on the market and lists more than 60 uses on its label, including stimulating plant growth, increasing yield, and delaying maturity for postharvest management.

Accede

Accede® Plant Growth Regulator is the first solution on the market for thinning stone fruit, and gives growers a new tool for late thinning in apples.

ProTone® Plant Growth Regulator allows more fruit to be harvested and marketed as high-quality table grapes by providing growers with an effective and natural coloring option without residue concerns.

Crop Protection

The crop protection portfolio provides growers with highly effective products derived from naturally occurring microbes. Our current crop protection solutions include the efficacious Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium strains kurstaki and aizawai for controlling lepidopteran pests (caterpillars).

These products can be used in both organic and conventional production systems and are exempt from residue tolerances because of their low impact on the environment and non-target organisms, including humans, fish, birds, and pollinators.

KEY CROP PROTECTION PRODUCTS:

DiPel® Biological Insecticide, one of the world’s leading biological insecticides, provides growers with sustainable and effective caterpillar control.

XenTari® Biological Insecticide is an important tool that helps growers control damaging armyworms and diamondback moths.

LEAP® Bacterial Disease Management Biological Insecticide is the only alternative to copper-based products that provides two-way protection: it suppresses bacterial plant diseases and controls caterpillar pests.

Gnatrol® Biological Insecticide provides sustainable control of fungus gnat larvae with the naturally occurring bacterial Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis in house plants, ornamentals, and vegetable starts.

Sympatico® Biological Insecticide is an innovative patented formulation that uses BioFuse™ Technology to deliver the most comprehensive crytoxin profile in a single product.

Rhizosphere

Our rhizosphere team provides next-generation biorational seed- and soil-applied technologies to row and specialty growers. These products are developed to easily integrate into a grower’s existing crop management practice to optimize crop production, improve soil health, and enhance carbon capture.

KEY RHIZOSPHERE TECHNOLOGIES:

MycoApply ® is a suite of products that contains a beneficial soil microorganism called mycorrhizal fungi, which enhances plant productivity and long-term soil health by forming root acquisition networks and stable soil aggregates. Together, these optimize nutrient and water efficiency and contribute to carbon sequestration.

Aveo ® EZ is a low-use-rate seed treatment nematicide that colonizes across all root zones as the plant grows, shielding the roots from a broad spectrum of nematodes.

BIOSTIMULANTS

The creation of the U.S.-based biostimulant operating unit at Valent BioSciences enables our experts to partner more closely with retailers and their grower customers so we can better serve them. Biostimulants are the next evolution of crop enhancement tools, and our unparalleled experience and in-house technical expertise with these products position us to partner directly with retailers and growers to maximize every acre.

KEY BIOSTIMULANT PRODUCTS:

Symvado™-branded products, including organic, conventional, and seed treatment formulations, improve nutrient efficiency, drought tolerance, and yield potential.

Proliant™ Plant Growth Regulator was developed for corn and forage grasses to deliver better yields, bigger roots, and enhanced early-season growth.

Protecting Human Potential

Biorational larvicides provide highly effective and sustainable solutions for insect pests that threaten public health. Every year, millions of people are afflicted by diseases stemming from insect vectors. Most common among these are mosquito-borne illnesses, which are estimated to account for more than one million deaths a year. Malaria, dengue, Zika, and West Nile virus are among the most well-known and dangerous of these diseases.

AS IN AGRICULTURE, biorational products play an important role in the control of insect pests that can threaten human populations. Two subspecies of Bacillus—Bacillus thuriengensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) and Bacillus sphaericus (Bsph)—provide highly specific control of mosquitos and other nuisance insects, which are vectors of many diseases.

KEY PUBLIC HEALTH PRODUCTS:

VectoBac® controls mosquito larvae to help people stay healthy and enjoy their quality of life.

VectoMax ® combines two time-proven and environmentally compatible bacterial active ingredients to create an advanced biological mosquito larvicide.

Protecting Our Home

Valent BioSciences’ biorationals play a key role in helping protect the world’s forests. The notion that we need to manage pests in heavily wooded areas might seem counterintuitive, but defoliating pests threaten the global ecosystem, as well as industries dependent on timber. Because forests act as one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet, destruction of our forests also impacts the amount of carbon that can be sequestered in the soil.

AS IN AGRICULTURE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, biorationals provide sustainable solutions for managing forest pests both safely and economically. Given their specificity, biorational technologies are ideal in places where humans work and play.

Because the bacterial active ingredients are naturally occurring and affect only caterpillars, our forest health products will not harm other types of insects, fish, birds, or mammals.

KEY FOREST HEALTH PRODUCTS:

Foray ® Biological Insecticide controls destructive caterpillar pests such as the spongy moth, tent caterpillars, bagworms, and budworms. Foray protects forests from the harmful defoliation caused by these pests.

Mimic® Insecticide is a unique compound with an extremely target-specific mode of action that stops destructive caterpillar larvae from consuming tree foliage and weakening trees and forests.

Mimic is a registered trademark of Nippon Soda Co., Ltd., used under license.