Photos courtesy of Sakata Seed America
Sakata America Holding Company, a major subsidiary of Sakata Seed Corporation, has opened its new headquarters, the Sakata Woodland Innovation Center, in Yolo County, California.
The state-of-the-art facility, located on 219 acres of prime agricultural land, will serve as the central hub for the company's operations, consolidating the company's key functions into one campus, including research and development, seed production, processing, testing, packaging, distribution and biotechnology.
“The expansion of the Woodland Innovation Center is an exciting and necessary step for the future of Sakata," said Sakata Seed America President and CEO Dave Armstrong. "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.”
Hiroshi Sakata, president of Sakata Seed Corporation (left), and Shigeo Yamada, Japan’s ambassador to the U.S. (right), give remarks during the grand opening celebration for the Sakata Woodland Innovation Center.
The development of the Woodland Innovation Center was 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 move to Woodland will also strengthen Sakata’s ties with the University of California at Davis.
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.
A grand opening celebration, held on Sept. 12, 2024, brought together 200 guests, including Shigeo Yamada, Japan’s ambassador to the U.S.; Hiroshi Sakata, president of Sakata Seed Corporation; California State Assembly and Senate members, local dignitaries, business partners, Sakata America Holding executive management, employees and media. The event featured a local chef using Sakata products, facility tours, a Japanese taiko drum performance and a traditional Japanese sake ceremony.
Watch a video of the history of Sakata America Holding and the Woodland Innovation Center project, courtesy of Sakata Seed:
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