Stepan Company is excited to announce that it has opened its new Agricultural Innovation Center in Barrow County, Georgia, strategically located near the Company's manufacturing site in Winder, Georgia. The Company believes this Innovation Center will further facilitate collaboration with customers and foster research and development initiatives in the agricultural industry.

"[The Agricultural Innovation Center] is a testament to our commitment to safe and sustainable agriculture, our customers' growth and to farmers worldwide who face increasing challenges that require new innovations," said Jason Keiper, Stepan's Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer.

The LEED-certified Agricultural Innovation Center includes a greenhouse for live plant testing and research, a training center for formulation development, a spray chamber for studying driftable fines, a Class II lab to support biological formulation development and state-of-the-art laboratories dedicated to liquid and dry formulation design.  The temperate climate in Georgia will enable Stepan to test year-round and help accelerate the rate at which products are moved to large-scale production.

Stepan expects the facility to contribute to the development of the agricultural industry in Barrow County and the industry at large. Stepan hopes to be a resource for students and area residents as the new facility is near the University of Georgia, Emory University and other academic institutions with strong agricultural programs.  Stepan is a current partner with Emory University in its Sustainability and Resilience Collaboratory.