NewLeaf Symbiotics Recruits Leading Business Development and Commercialization Expert

    ST. LOUIS, MO, March 12, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- NewLeaf Symbiotics announced today the appointment of Mike McFatrich as Vice President for Business Strategy and Development. McFatrich joins the company from BASF where he was Global Director for the Seed Solutions business. He will be based at NewLeaf's BRDG Park offices in St. Louis.

NewLeaf CEO Tom Laurita said, "Mike brings extensive experience to NewLeaf Symbiotics. He has worked in the agrochemical industry for more than 20 years, prior to which he had significant experience in the seed industry in both product development and commercial roles. He has gained broad knowledge of biological plant health products as well as conventional crop protection compounds and seed treatments. Mike held key business management roles with Gustafson/Bayer and Chemtura, and spent the last five years at Becker Underwood/BASF. He provides a strategic viewpoint that will certainly add value throughout our organization. NewLeaf is rapidly advancing its Prescriptive Biologics platform and product pipeline, and we expect that Mike will help us accelerate that progress."

McFatrich commented, "NewLeaf is at the leading edge of developing biologics as a crop performance enhancement technology. The company is well positioned to bring to market a portfolio of products that will deliver on the promise that plant health and nutritional biological products have begun to provide. NewLeaf's Prescriptive Biologics platform will offer unique solutions for the crop protection market. I've been fortunate to work in both crop production and crop protection, and understand how biologics can complement traditional crop protection tools and augment the genetics of a crop plant to optimize the inherent yield potential. I believe NewLeaf has brought together key values of innovation, customer focus, collaboration and sustainability which will provide the grower, and those who service the grower, with the opportunity to deliver food, fiber and fuel to the world's growing population in an environmentally prudent way."

About NewLeaf Symbiotics
NewLeaf is a non-GMO biotech company that researches and commercializes beneficial plant bacteria, and is a leading player in the rapidly expanding agricultural biologicals space. In 2013 NewLeaf acquired bioinformatics solutions leader Intuitive Genomics, and employs a focused genomics approach to discovery and analysis of plant/microbe interactions. The company recently quadrupled its R&D and management footprint at BRDG Park in St Louis, Missouri, and is rapidly growing its core team. NewLeaf expects initial product sales in 2015-16. Visit NewLeaf Symbiotics at http://www.newleafsym.com.

About BRDG Park at the Danforth Center
Bio-Research & Development Growth (BRDG) Park at the Danforth Plant Science Center helps life science companies bridge research, resources and relationships to achieve commercial success. In addition to providing world-class wet laboratories, office space and a prominent incubator, BRDG Park's location on the Danforth Center's campus facilitates access to the intellectual capital of top scientists, as well as to greenhouses, growth chambers, microscopy and proteomics facilities and other vital resources. Located in suburban St. Louis County, Missouri, BRDG Park is being developed by Wexford Science +Technology LLC, a BioMed Realty Company, a development company led by a seasoned team of real estate, finance and engineering experts specializing in major university facilities and science research parks nationwide. More information is available at http://www.BRDG-Park.com.

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