Valent BioSciences acquired Pace International

Valent BioSciences Corporation (VBC), a leader in biorational product development for agriculture, public health, and forestry worldwide, announced it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Pace International LLC, a global leader in the postharvest segment of commercial agriculture with operations in the U.S., Mexico, and South America. Previously VBC owned 25 percent of the company.

The acquisition adds another strategic platform to VBC’s rapidly expanding global biorational business. Headquartered in Seattle, Wash., Pace specializes in the development and commercialization of coatings, sanitizers, and postharvest disease management products for use in many crops including citrus, stone fruit, pome fruit, potatoes and others.

Postharvest products improve fruit quality and maintain nutritional value while allowing for longer storage, providing global reach to many types of high-value crops. Postharvest losses can range up to 40-50 percent of all produce that is grown, depending on the crop and country.

“The Pace assets bring VBC the unique opportunity to leverage our extensive product portfolio and pipeline further downstream into new and exciting areas that will redefine the postharvest business segment,” said VBC President and CEO Michael Donaldson. “Along with our $150 million investment in a new biorational product manufacturing facility in Osage, Iowa, VBC’s acquisition of Pace will help us to meet the growing demand for high quality produce and further expands our global footprint as the undisputed leader in this sector.”

Biorationals are products typically derived from biological origins that are highly specific in their activity while providing economic, health, and/or environmental benefits, is the explanation provided by VBS. Biorational products include microbial insecticides, fungicides and nematicides, as well as plant growth regulators used in production agriculture and for managing plant growth, quality and stress in crops.

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