The U.S. site structure for the global agriculture leader DuPont and The Dow Chemical Company intend to create following the planned separation of DowDupont into three independent, publicly traded companies has been revealed. The corporate headquarters for the Agriculture company will be located in Wilmington, DE, and will include the office of the CEO and key corporate support functions. The independent Agriculture company will feature DuPont in the company’s name, following completion of the corporate naming and branding process.
Sites in Indianapolis, IN and Johnston, IA, will also serve as Global Business Centers, with leadership of business lines, business support functions, R&D, global supply chain, and sales and marketing capabilities concentrated in the two Midwest locations.
“This efficient structure takes full advantage of the unique expertise and resources that exist in each location, enabling us to deliver the long-term opportunity for the leading global Agriculture company we intend to create,” said Edward D. Breen, chairman and chief executive officer of DuPont. “Our deep presence in Iowa and Indiana will continue the close ties to our customer base and the broader Agriculture community, while leveraging the existing corporate infrastructure and expertise we have in Delaware – DuPont’s home for more than 200 years.”
New Agriculture Company Goals
The structure of the Agriculture company was specifically developed to ensure the cost discipline and efficiency necessary to achieve $1.3 billion in synergies, while establishing the strongest foundation possible for sustainable growth over the long term – which will in turn create long-term opportunities for the company’s global employee base and local communities. This structure enables the intended independent Agriculture company to consolidate DuPont’s and Dow’s complete Agriculture capabilities across seed and crop protection in three primary locations, which is integral to achieving the planned synergies.
“We want to thank the leaders of each state for a highly constructive, cooperative process to achieve the best possible approach that leverages key advantages in each location. As we advance plans for the intended merger, DuPont and the state of Delaware are committed to leveraging our respective science infrastructures and competencies to nurture the emerging science and technology innovation hub in the state,” Breen stated.
“The proposed combination of Dow’s and DuPont’s agricultural businesses will create a U.S.-based global leader with the scale and breadth necessary to deliver greater value and choice for growers worldwide and compete against the largest global competitors,” said Andrew N. Liveris, chairman and chief executive officer of Dow. “Combining each company’s strengths in science and R&D, with increased global market access, enables greater opportunity for innovative new solutions in both seed and crop protection. The headquarters location of the Agriculture company being announced as Wilmington, with global business centers in Indiana and Iowa is consistent with the intended headquarters of the Material Science company, to be named Dow, being headquartered in Midland, Michigan, but having global business centers in other U.S. and global locations.”
Agriculture operations across DuPont and Dow totaled roughly $18 billion in 2015. Crop protection operations alone accounted for approximately 80 percent of Dow AgroSciences’ total revenue, which totaled $6.4 billion, in 2015. Crop protection is expected to represent 50 percent of the new agriculture company’s revenue.
Announced in December 2015, the DowDuPont merger is expected to close during the second half of 2016, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The new company plans to establish three independent, publicly traded companies focused on agriculture, material science and specialty products after the merger close.
