Stepan opens agro centre

Stepan has opened its new Agricultural Innovation Centre in Barrow County, Georgia, near to its manufacturing site in Winder and to two major universities. The location was chosen in part for a temperate climate that will facilitate year-round testing. The centre will carry our collaborative R&D with customers in the sector. Key features include:

* A training centre for formulation development, including a virtual collaboration lab for real-time customer support and formulation training from any location with an Internet connection

* A spray chamber for studying driftable fines, both in commercial formulations and to develop new ways to minimise their formation

* A class II lab to support biological formulation development

* A greenhouse for plant testing and research * Labs dedicated to liquid and dry formulation design

The centre will also be Stepan’s first Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design-certified facility. As such, it incorporates features that aim to promote energy- and water- efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve indoor air quality and have a reduced environmental impact, with sustainability factored into the entire design.