Dupont Pioneer Toledo production plant on South County Road (U.S. Highway 63) in Toledo, Iowa. Chronicle/ John Speer

Dupont and The Dow Chemical Company announced on Friday, Dec. 11, the company boards of directors had voted to merge. A Dupont news release said the companies then plan to “pursue a separation of (the new) DowDupont into three independent traded companies.” One of the three would be a “global pure-play Agricultural company” the news release said.

DupontPioneer Hi-Bred is a major industry in Toledo and the company is the world’s leader in seed corn production.

The Toledo location has been reported at times over the years as the world’s largest hybrid corn plant. The company lists Des Moines as its headquarters with major research and other facilities at Johnston, Iowa.

Dupont bought into Pioneer Hi-Bred in 1997 and purchased the remaining 80 percent of the company in 1999.

In Toledo more than $3 million has been spent on new buildings and additions to the plant and covers just over 50 acres according to the Tama County assessor’s website.

RIGHT- Edward D. Breen, Chairman and CEO of DuPont, and Andrew N. Liveris, President Chairman and CEO of Dow pose for a handshake upon announcement of an agreement to merge the two companies. -Dupont media photo

Dupont Pioneer contracts acreage in a wide area of central Iowa for seed corn and employs a large seasonal workforce during growing and harvest times.

The plant, originally Pioneer Seed Corn Co., was established here in the mid-1950s. The property where it continues to be located on Toledo’s southwest side had been the site of the Tama County Fairgrounds.

Dupont and Dow plan for getting together does not come without some caution from U.S. Senator Chuck Grassely (R-Iowa.)

“DuPont and Dow are two titans of American industry and the proposed merger demands serious scrutiny. Federal regulators are responsible for examining and approving the transaction to make sure that it’s not anticompetitive. Vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws is imperative to maintaining an open, fair and competitive marketplace. I’ll be listening to Iowa farmers and consumers about any concerns they may have with this proposal, and the Judiciary Committee will be exercising its appropriate oversight function,” Grassley said in a news release following the announcement. Grassley chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.