An Expanding Partnership’s Bright Future

“We have access to top Syngenta Seedcare^™ specialists and scientists who explain how the products benefit growers,” says Kyle McClelland, seed and technical agronomy manager for Brandt. “It’s invaluable for us to have that level of dialogue because we can bring that information to our customers, separating insight and knowledge from the noise in the marketplace, and help them make the right decisions.”

For over a decade, Illinois-based retailer Brandt provided quality Syngenta products to their customers, worked with Syngenta to resolve agronomic issues and built a level of trust that set the stage for an expanded partnership. Now Syngenta supports most of the Brandt seed treatment business. This didn’t happen overnight. The two companies built the decision on a longstanding relationship and their common goal ‒ helping growers succeed.

Fostering Growth

Wade Meteer, sales representative for Syngenta, first performed a needs assessment for Brandt and determined a path forward. The path included a direct line to The Seedcare Institute^™, a Syngenta network of facilities that test seed treatment performance in controlled environments to match the needs and requests of customers. The Institute’s U.S. facility, located in Stanton, Minnesota, worked directly with Brandt employees and performed a live demonstration of Syngenta Seedcare formulation technology to answer questions and highlight benefits.

Meteer praises Brandy for its customer focus. “Brandt works in the interest of growers to maximize their potential return on investment. Syngenta resonates with that mindset, and our seed treatment products fit this shared goal,” Meteer says.

McClelland knew he could depend on Meteer and the Syngenta team’s product knowledge and support to help deliver top-notch customer service to growers. Before McClelland moved up to his current role with Brandt, Meteer sometimes accompanied him on calls.

“Our customers trust us to make the right decisions for their farms,” McClelland says. “I think when they rely on us that heavily, it’s helpful that we can rely on the people at Syngenta. It makes for a great partnership from top to bottom.”

Dave Byrum, Syngenta Seedcare specialist and technical resource for Brandt, emphasizes the value of collaboration.

“Wade and those at Brandt have built a rapport and trust with each other, so broadening the Syngenta seed treatment portfolio was a true team effort,” Byrum says.

Brandt and Syngenta worked together for years bringing crop protection products to farmers, however, developing the seed treatment business was new territory. The longstanding partnership gave McClelland confidence that whatever challenges arose, Syngenta would provide the solutions needed to help keep his customers and their operations profitable.

Meteer says expanding the seed treatment business with Brandt requires frequent conversations re-evaluating the partnership’s objectives. Working together successfully means learning what each company needs and how to achieve their goals.

Building Trust

While mutual company objectives are important, a successful partnership goes beyond aligning business goals. The participants must also build trust among one another. McClelland takes pride in the fact that Brandt is a family-owned business that works with people who also care about their customers.

“When someone has the character, professionalism, knowledge and integrity of Wade Meteer, you do business with that person,” McClelland says.

Meteer emphasizes the role communication plays in his work with Brandt. When a Brandt employee calls him with questions, he’ll either have answers or find someone who does and report back quickly. Syngenta agronomic support teams constantly test and refine product recommendations in local geographies. Meteer says the information those teams provide is crucial in helping him give quick and accurate answers to the questions he receives.

For the past three years, nearly all seed treatment products Brandt has been carrying are from Syngenta. While Syngenta is proud of that achievement, there’s always room for improvement and better understanding.

“Maintaining the partnership requires not losing sight of what got us there. We still do yearly technical update meetings with Brandt from an agronomy and application service standpoint,” Byrum says. “We treat them like the top-shelf customer they are.”

Discovering Superior Performance

The personal bonds between the companies are strong, but Brandt wouldn’t partner with Syngenta if they didn’t provide top-tier products. McClelland is impressed with Syngenta seed treatments’ field performance as well as the convenience from a treatability, stability and packaging standpoint.

CruiserMaxx^® Vibrance^® insecticide/fungicide seed treatment and Saltro^® fungicide seed treatment are two flagship products that drive a high crop response for growers. McClelland says CruiserMaxx Vibrance offers broad-spectrum protection from the major seedling diseases challenging growers in central Illinois. “The ease of use and the treatability of CruiserMaxx Vibrance in my opinion is second to none in the industry,” McClelland says. “And with Saltro, there are fewer agronomic issues, and it’s a no-brainer to use it on the majority of our acres here at Brandt.”

With room to grow, excellent company relationships, and proven product performance, this partnership is poised to provide solutions to farmers’ challenges for many years.

“We follow through on what we promise,” Meteer says, “and that’s what drives this long-term relationship.”

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Cover image: Wade Meteer, sales representative for Syngenta, (left) and Kyle McClelland, seed and technical agronomy manager for Brandt, (right) inspect a flourishing soybean field in Pleasant Plains, Illinois. The crop got an early boost from Saltro fungicide seed treatment and CruiserMaxx Vibrance insecticide/fungicide seed treatment. Photography by Seth Lowe.