Share
KANNAPOLIS Monsanto Co., the world's leading provider of biotech crops, announced Thursday that it has signed a long-term lease at the North Carolina Research Campus to accelerate research into improving the taste and nutrition of fruits and vegetables.
Starting in June, the company will have 10 to 12 employees working in about 9,000 square feet of lab and office space on the campus, plus two or three visiting Monsanto scientists each year.
The workers will screen plant varieties for improved nutrition and flavor and screen plant bioactivities for health benefits.
Monsanto is the first big-name global company to locate on the campus, founded by Dole Food owner David Murdock. Dole is the world's largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables
Soda and food giant PepsiCo considered occupying a 4,000-square- foot lab to study ways to make its products healthier, but the company backed out of the campus last year due to the recession.
Murdock said Monsanto's presence will help lure other companies to the $1.5 billion complex, including several that held off due to the economy.
He's already been on the phone with some of them, he said, declining to name the companies.
