Bayer Biologics Playing It Cool
October 31, 2012 
While little AgraQuest has become part of giant Bayer – and in the process changed its name to Bayer Biologics – they’re taking the “steady-as-she-goes” approach for the time being.
At this past weekend’s Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit at the Anaheim (CA) Convention Center, Sarah Reiter, director of global product management for the new division, said no explosive growth is planned. “We’ll grow, but incrementally,” she said of the 200-member team that for now will remain in Davis, CA. “We’re going to take a staggered approach.”
That said, they are now backed by a company with a presence in 170 countries that has 23,000 employees, slightly more people than composed the record crowd of 21,000-plus at PMA. Not only that, but Bayer plans on spending $7 billion on R&D between now and 2016.
So while AgraQuest used to pursue three products at once, they will now be after more – a lot more. “Those days are behind us,” said Reiter. “I look forward to speeding up the R&D process.”
How? “We’ll bring that big science might of Bayer to ‘bear’ on biologics,” she said, smilingly putting air quotes around the pun.