Syngenta announced today it has selected its current campus location on Swing Road in Greensboro, N.C., to redevelop its North American Crop Protection headquarters. The announcement follows a comprehensive assessment of the company’s future needs and multiple site options in North Carolina and other states.
The company intends to construct a more than 100,000-square-foot office building to connect with its existing laboratory facility on the north side of the 70-acre campus. Plans also include a complete renovation of the lab facilities. The new workspaces will support about 650 employees and 100 contract workers.
“The Syngenta family in Greensboro has been part of the fabric of this community for many decades, and it’s our goal to remain so for many years to come,” says Vern Hawkins, president of Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC. “Our new facilities will enable us to have our Greensboro colleagues on this campus working together in modern, efficient facilities, enabling better collaboration and focus to meet our customers’ needs.”
The redeveloped headquarters will include contemporary work and conference spaces, health, wellness and fitness centers, a cafeteria, auditorium, coffee areas and other amenities. In addition, a Customer Experience Center is planned for the company to showcase the innovative products and services it continually provides customers. Employee health, safety and work effectiveness will be key factors in the design and construction.
Construction is expected to begin on the new building later in 2021; the entire project will take about three years to complete. Syngenta is assessing options for the south side of its campus.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce, Guilford County and City of Greensboro have offered Syngenta incentives that can reduce future tax liability and offset costs if commitments, including investment and employment, are met. This will help retain 750 employees and contractors and maintain the significant economic impact Syngenta contributes to the area, along with future capital and other investments. Syngenta’s investment will be more than $68 million in real property improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment.
“We are grateful for the support provided by many community members and leaders in the Greensboro area,” says Hawkins. “Syngenta has worked hard every year to be a good corporate citizen through many employee volunteer efforts and company sponsorships, and we value this active partnership with our community. It’s clear to us the feeling is mutual.”
The following local officials issued these statements:
- “Syngenta’s decision to keep its North America headquarters in North Carolina is a testament to the company’s success in our state and underscores their confidence in our dynamic workforce for the next phase of growth.” —North Carolina commerce secretary Machelle Baker Sanders
- “We are grateful that Syngenta has chosen to stay in Guilford County with its Crop Protection headquarters. We know that the company had many options to evaluate, and we are especially pleased that it led to Greensboro and Guilford County coming out on top. We know that this community’s workforce, infrastructure and outstanding quality of life are strong reasons that companies like Syngenta continue to call Guilford County home. I look forward to seeing a beautiful new office and research campus rise up off of Swing Road.“ —Melvin “Skip” Alston, chairman, Guilford County Board of County Commissioners
- “For as long as I can remember, the Syngenta facility — once Ciba-Geigy — has stood at one of the main entrances to Greensboro, a showplace of our community’s agricultural science and technology abilities. Simply put, the company and its employees are an essential part of the fabric that makes this community so special. My fellow city council members and I placed the highest priority on making sure these jobs remained here, and we are so thrilled that Syngenta has decided to build its new state-of-the-art office and research facility here.” —Mayor Nancy Vaughan, City of Greensboro
- “From the beginning of this project, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and our partners at the state and local levels have been focused on making sure that Syngenta officials knew how valued they were here. We worked hard to build the business case that would cause the company to choose to be in Greensboro, Guilford County and the state of North Carolina for many years to come. That successful team effort culminates in today’s announcement. I thank all involved and am so excited that Syngenta will continue to call our community home.” —Brent Christensen, president and CEO, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce
In early January 2020, Syngenta announced it had engaged in a comprehensive assessment of is current facilities on Swing Road. The large campus, with 17 structures, was established in the mid-1960s and was later acquired by Ciba-Geigy, a Syngenta legacy company. Syngenta was formed in 2000, and this site has remained one of the company’s major workplaces in the U.S. Due to the age of the buildings and ongoing repairs and renovations required to maintain an optimal and safe work environment, the company explored options for the future, which led to today’s announcement.