KWS, a leading global plant science company, has selected St. Louis to be the home of its new North American research facility. The company is making a $13.7 million capital investment that is expected to create 75 high-paying jobs during the next three to five years.

Headquartered in Germany, KWS has been breeding crops for temperate climates for more than 150 years. The company provides seed cultivation of sugar beets, corn, grains, feed, vegetables, potatoes, and plants used to produce oil and protein. KWS has more than 4,400 employees in 70 countries, according to a news release from Gov. Nixon.

“With the establishment of the KWS Gateway Research Center, we are now present in two of the world’s prime locations for plant research: the United States and Germany,” said Léon Broers—a member of the KWS executive board responsible for research and breeding—in a press release.

In Missouri, KWS will operate in the Danforth Science Center’s Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park. The company will immediately begin the process to renovate 19,150 square feet of the BRDG Park’s Building One for a custom lab and office space. Adjacent to Building One, the company will also construct a greenhouse complex dedicated to conducting research and development.