KWS Seeds Celebrates the Grand Opening of the expanded Kimberly Research Station Greenhouse Complex
From Left to Right : Michael G. Arrington (President - Starr Construction), Felix Büchting (CEO & Spokesperson of the Executive Board at KWS SAAT SE & Co. KgaA), Breanne Stowell (Senior Station Manager – Kimberly), Chris Uhlig (CEO - Ceres Greenhouse Solutions)
July 24, 2026
On July 21, 2026, KWS Seeds celebrated the grand opening of its expanded greenhouse complex at the Research Station in Kimberly, Idaho, marking a major milestone in the company’s continued investment in sugarbeet innovation, research and long-term support for growers and the industry.
The greenhouse expansion builds on the project first announced at the April 2025 groundbreaking ceremony and brings online two new greenhouse facilities designed to advance seedling production, breeding innovation and plant disease research. The new complex includes advanced vernalization capabilities and precision climate-control technologies that allow researchers to manage growing conditions with greater accuracy, efficiency and sustainability.
With the addition of innovative vernalization chambers, energy-efficient systems and advanced environmental controls, the facility is designed to help accelerate research and development for next-generation sugarbeet varieties. The expanded site will support seedling production for trialing and strengthen plant health research, including efforts focused on disease resistance and agronomic performance for irrigated markets in the Western United States and beyond.
The Kimberly Research Station is one of KWS Seeds’ five breeding and research stations in the United States and plays an important role in trait and hybrid development for sugarbeet production. Located on a 230-acre research site in Kimberly, the station has continued to expand its capabilities in recent years, reinforcing KWS Seeds’ commitment to helping growers meet future challenges through stronger, more resilient and more productive varieties.
“This grand opening reflects an exciting step forward for sugarbeet research and seed development at Kimberly,” said Breanne Stowell, Senior Station Manager with KWS Seeds. “What began as a bold investment in the future is now a state-of-the-art facility that will help our teams advance breeding innovation, improve disease research and deliver long-term value for growers and the sugarbeet industry. It also reflects our continued commitment to the Kimberly community and the future of agriculture in this region.”
The grand opening celebration recognized the completion of the greenhouse expansion project and the collaboration that helped bring it to life. KWS Seeds partnered with Ceres Greenhouse Solutions on the design and installation of the high-tech greenhouse systems, with Starr Corporation serving as general contractor for the project.
Drone image of the newly expanded KWS Research Station in Kimberly, Idaho
About KWS
KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. Nearly 5,000 employees* in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.68 billion in the fiscal year 2023/2024. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for almost 170 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development. *excl. seasonal workforce
