Agtech company Pivot Bio announced that it recently expanded in the St. Louis area with an incremental investment of more than $7 million that will create 40 new jobs in Hazelwood and Creve Coeur, Missouri.
The company’s expansion includes the relocation of its R&D and manufacturing operations to the Midwest.
Last May, the company, which started out in Berkeley, California, greenlit plans to establish a global headquarters in Minnesota and a new campus for science, product development and manufacturing in St. Louis. The plan was to get closer to the Midwest — the "heart of American agriculture" — as it scales the business. Pivot's products have already been used on more than 14 million acres, according to the company.
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Pivot Bio makes a nitrogen source that is applied at planting. The company says it delivers a consistent, foundational source of nitrogen directly at the plants' roots, beginning at germination and continuing through key vegetative growth stages.
The investment is designed to increase U.S.-based manufacturing and innovation capabilities to deliver more reliable, cost-effective nitrogen solutions to farmers. The company notes that fertilizer markets have faced volatility driven by global supply pressures, energy dynamics and geopolitical uncertainty. The announcement comes at a critical time for farmers navigating rising input prices, unpredictable supply and tight decision windows heading into planting season.
“Farmers are being asked to make critical decisions in a market that’s anything but predictable,” said Chris Abbott, Pivot Bio's CEO, in a statement. “Our focus is on helping bring more certainty back to the farm, and that starts with investing in U.S.-based innovation and production that farmers can depend on."
The company’s Greater St. Louis Center of Excellence brings together its research and development hub in Creve Coeur, with additional manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and customer support operations in Hazelwood.
According to the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the new jobs will pay an average wage well above the county average. Pivot Bio will benefit from the Missouri Works program, which helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholding or tax credits for job creation.
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