68 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2018 COMPANY NAMES, product brands and staff have been shuffled in the recent wave of mergers and acquisi- tions within the seed industry and more changes are in store as these revamped corporations find their footing on the global stage. Although they’ve grown in scale, these businesses have promised collaborators and customers they’re still committed to bringing new agriculture solutions to market, believing that innova- tion can only be enhanced through their integrations. Going into a new calendar and crop year, here’s where the transitions currently stand. Bayer: Different But Familiar Bayer officially became the new and sole owner of the Monsanto Company in June 2018, and they were allowed to combine their operations in August, meaning the integration of the two companies is still in the early stages. “Various levels of leadership have been named, and leaders are just now start- ing the work to combine our facilities and employees,” a Bayer spokesperson said. “As you can imagine, this will take some time, but we’re united by our common focus on serving our customers during this time.” Divestments, as required by the U.S. Department of Justice, means Bayer’s portfolio looks different, but familiar prod- uct names still endure. “As we look toward the 2019 season and beyond, growers will be able to ask for the same brand names they’ve come to know and trust. Brands such as SUPERSIZED SEED Acquisitions, mergers change the business landscape. Maria Brown mariabethbrown@gmail.com DEKALB, Asgrow, Channel, Delaro and the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System retain their names, as does the rest of the portfolio that Bayer retained or acquired from Monsanto,” they said. Additionally, Bayer pledges to bring more solutions to the marketplace. “One of the most exciting aspects of the combination is that we’ll be bring- ing together our innovative capabilities under one roof, giving us the opportunity to serve growers with solutions tailored to their specific needs. And as we move ahead, we will continue to invest in innovation, research, partnerships and collaborations to create new technolo- gies for farmers in the United States and around the world,” Bayer officials said in a statement.