Sakata America Holding Company, Inc. opens the Woodland Innovation Center
The Sakata Woodland Innovation Center in Yolo County, CA, will consolidate the company’s key functions into one campus, including research and development, seed production, processing, testing, packaging, distribution and biotechnology. (Sakata photos)
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Sakata America Holding Company, Inc. (SAH), a subsidiary of Sakata Seed Corporation, in September announced the grand opening of its new headquarters, the Sakata Woodland Innovation Center.
According to Sakata, this state-of-the-art facility, located on 219 acres of prime agricultural land in Yolo County, CA, marks a milestone in the company’s commitment to advancing agricultural innovation and sustainability.
The Woodland Innovation Center will serve as the central hub for SAH’s operations, consolidating the company’s key functions into one expansive campus, including research and development, seed production, processing, testing, packaging, distribution and biotechnology – the embodiment of a “21st-century Farmstead” for Sakata.
“The expansion of the Woodland Innovation Center is an exciting and necessary step for the future of Sakata,” states Dave Armstrong, president and CEO of Sakata Seed America. “As we broaden our leadership position in an expanding portfolio of crops, it’s imperative that we support our growing business and deepen our roots in one of the world’s most dynamic agriculture regions – the ‘Silicon Valley of seed.’ Our headquarters relocation to Woodland reflects our commitment to California’s vital agriculture and seed sectors, and the investment enables us to consolidate R&D and multiple other functions on a single, state-of-the-art campus.”
Facility Features
The development of the Woodland Innovation Center has been strategically planned in four phases. Phases 1 and 2, completed in November 2018, established a research head house, greenhouses for key Sakata crops, a farm shop, a washery building, and a LEED-certified office building.
The recently completed Phases 3 and 4, which began in November 2022, include:
- A 9,000 square foot state-of-the-art lab building.
- An 18,000-square-foot office building constructed in alignment with LEED sustainability standards.
- A solar energy plant covering all electricity needs for the entire site, reflecting Sakata’s commitment to sustainability.
- A 32,000-square-foot warehouse facility featuring cutting-edge milling and processing equipment with a proprietary seed mill design exclusive to Sakata.
- A horticulturally-curated campus designed to promote the collaboration and well-being of employees.
The company says the move to Woodland will also strengthen Sakata’s ties with the University of California at Davis, enhancing collaborative opportunities with the world-renowned agricultural science institution.
Sakata says its legacy in the seed industry, beginning with broccoli and expanding into a wide assortment of vegetables and flowers, has been enhanced by significant additional investments in infrastructure and personnel across North and Central America.
The new headquarters will support the integration of five research stations, multiple seed processing sites, labs and administration offices throughout North America and foster global collaboration among Sakata’s breeding teams.
