Burrus Seed Company

What Burrus Seed Company does

Burrus Seed Company is an independent, family-owned agricultural seed company founded in 1935 and headquartered in Arenzville, Illinois, with a secondary sales and operations office in Jacksonville, Illinois. The company develops and distributes hybrid corn and soybean seed products under three brand architectures: the flagship Burrus brand (accessing germplasm and traits through licenses with Bayer and Syngenta), Power Plus (a distributorship brand carrying Corteva/Pioneer genetics), and DONMARIO soybeans (distributed under license from B&B Seeds, LLC / GDM Seeds, Inc.). Burrus also offers PowerShield seed treatments, a free MyFarms precision agriculture platform for field-by-field planting plans, and proprietary agronomic frameworks including the Optimum Ear Size (OES) concept and Net Effective Stand (NES) evaluations.

The company operates a direct field-sales model with dedicated Account Managers and Field Agronomists serving American corn and soybean growers across a five-state Midwestern footprint (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin). Its go-to-market is built on a 'Listen, Learn, Best Fit' consultative approach where representatives match genetics, traits, and planting populations to each grower's specific operation, supported by CCA-certified agronomists, an annual Harvest Report, bi-monthly Burrus Buzz newsletter, and free precision-ag tools. Revenue is generated through one-time seed-product sales; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated through the Account Manager relationship. Burrus has been family-led across five generations, currently led by President Tim Greene with Kevin Burrus heading production and Martha Krohe managing operations, and remains privately held with no disclosed funding rounds or M&A activity.

Name

Burrus Seed Company

Legal name

Burrus Seed Company

Website

https://burrusseed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Burrus Seed Company is a family-owned, independent agricultural seed distributor founded in 1935, selling hybrid corn and soybean products under the Burrus, Power Plus, and DONMARIO brands to growers across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin via direct field sales and agronomic consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Seeds (Hybrid Corn and Soybean Seed)

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seed & Trait Distribution (Dealer Networks) (AFABAJAD), Seed Storage & Cold Chain (Seed Warehousing) (AFAGAIAJ)

Keywords

• Hybrid corn seeds
• Soybean seed products
• Agricultural seed genetics
• Crop trait technology
• Seed treatment products

Headquarters

HQ city

Arenzville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Seed Product Sales: Primary revenue from selling hybrid corn and soybean seed products through their flagship Burrus brand, Power Plus brand (Corteva distributor), and DONMARIO brand products. Revenue is generated through product sales to American growers across their marketing footprint.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Burrus Seed Company is an independent, family-owned agricultural seed company that produces and distributes hybrid corn and soybean seed products to Midwestern American growers. Its portfolio is sold under the flagship Burrus brand (with Bayer and Syngenta trait technologies), the Power Plus brand (Corteva/Pioneer portfolio access), and the DONMARIO brand (soybeans distributed for B&B Seeds, LLC under license from GDM Seeds). The company complements seed sales with proprietary PowerShield seed treatments, the free MyFarms precision-ag platform, and direct agronomic support from Account Managers and Field Agronomists across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Product overview

Burrus Seed Company is an independent, family-owned seed company (founded 1935) offering a portfolio of hybrid corn and soybean seed products distributed across multiple brands. The core offerings include Burrus hybrid corn (with Bayer and Syngenta technologies), Power Plus corn (Corteva portfolio access), and DONMARIO soybeans. These products are complemented by PowerShield seed treatments, product performance data tools, and the MyFarms precision ag platform. The company operates on a 'Listen, Learn, Best Fit' model, providing agronomic support, field evaluation services, and resources including harvest reports, grower tools, and newsletters to American growers across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Burrus (Flagship Brand): Flagship brand carrying technologies accessed through licenses with Bayer and Syngenta.
• Power Plus
• DONMARIO

Products and services

• Burrus Hybrid Corn Flagship brand hybrid corn seed products carrying technologies licensed from Bayer and Syngenta, offering multiple trait options for insect control and a strong conventional lineup for Midwestern corn growers.
• Power Plus Corn Power Plus® brand corn seed distributed by Burrus as a distributorship brand providing deeper access into the Corteva/Pioneer portfolio of corn genetics and traits for Midwestern growers.
• DONMARIO Soybean Products Soybean seed products distributed by Burrus under the DONMARIO® brand, which is a registered trademark of B&B Seeds, LLC used under license from GDM Seeds, Inc.
• Burrus Soybean Products Soybean seed products offered under the Burrus brand, providing growers with diverse genetic options for soybean production.
• PowerShield Seed Treatments Proprietary Burrus seed treatment products applied to seed to protect seeds and enhance early-season growth and stand establishment.
• MyFarms Precision Ag Platform Free precision agriculture platform available to Burrus customers that helps create customized planting plans for each field based on Optimum Ear Size concepts, population trials, and hybrid placement recommendations.
• Product Selection Guide Decision-support tool helping growers select the best-fit Burrus products for their specific management style and operation based on genetics, traits, and technologies.
• Product Performance Data Annual harvest and yield data from plots across Burrus' marketing footprint, including independent and third-party trial results shared publicly with growers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each day increase in relative maturity results in approximately 2 bushels of yield gain and 0.5 point of moisture increase
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BayercoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBurrus flagship brand carries technologies accessed through licenses with Bayer. As an independent company, Burrus can offer Bayer germplasm and traits to American growers.
• SyngentacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBurrus flagship brand carries technologies accessed through licenses with Syngenta. Burrus offers access to Syngenta germplasm and traits through their independent distribution.
• Corteva/PioneercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPower Plus is a distributorship brand granting deeper access into the Corteva portfolio. Burrus distributes Pioneer-branded Power Plus products to American growers.
• B&B Seeds, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBurrus is a distributor of DONMARIO products for B&B Seeds, LLC. DONMARIO is a registered trademark used by B&B Seeds under license from GDM Seeds, Inc., Gibson City, IL.
• University of Illinois ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe founders Roy and Wilbur Burrus originally worked closely with University of Illinois Extension and County Farm Advisors starting in 1935, promoting hybrid corn technology at meetings throughout the area.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Syngenta (NK Seeds, Golden Harvest): Global seed and crop protection major; Golden Harvest and NK Seeds are direct Midwestern competitors. Syngenta is also a key trait and germplasm licensor to Burrus.
• Bayer Crop Science (DEKALB, Asgrow): Global seed giant whose DEKALB (corn) and Asgrow (soybean) brands are among the most planted in the Midwest. Bayer is a key germplasm and trait licensor to Burrus and a direct competitor with materially greater resources.
• Pioneer (Corteva): Largest U.S. corn and soybean seed brand, owned by Corteva Agriscience. Pioneer is both a licensor (Power Plus brand is distributed by Burrus) and a broad competitor with vastly greater scale, R&D, and trait development capability.

Emerging players

• Heine Seed: Smaller, family-owned regional seed company offering corn and soybean seed products with personalized service in the Midwest. Heine is comparable to Burrus at a smaller, more local scale.

Direct peers

• Wyffels Hybrids: Family-owned independent corn and soybean seed company headquartered in Illinois. Wyffels shares Burrus's independent model, Midwestern geographic focus, multi-brand strategy, and direct field-sales approach — making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Beck's Hybrids: Largest family-owned independent seed company in the U.S., selling corn, soybean, wheat, and alfalfa seed across multiple Midwestern and Southern states. Beck's matches Burrus's independent, family-led, agronomy-focused sales model at a larger scale.
• Stine Seed Company: Family-owned, Iowa-based independent seed company focused on corn and soybean genetics with proprietary breeding programs. Stine offers a similar independent-seed-business model with comparable corn/soybean portfolio emphasis.
• AgriGold: Independent corn and soybean seed brand owned by AgReliant Genetics, with regional field-sales coverage across the Midwest. AgriGold competes directly with Burrus on genetics, trait access, and Account-Manager-driven grower service.
• Cornelius Seed: Family-owned independent corn and soybean seed company based in Iowa with regional Midwestern coverage. Cornelius mirrors Burrus's family-ownership structure, independent distribution model, and direct-to-grower sales motion.
• LG Seeds (AgReliant Genetics): Corn and soybean seed brand under AgReliant Genetics with Midwestern field-sales coverage. LG Seeds competes with Burrus using a similar Account Manager model and similar trait/genetic access via Limagrain's breeding programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/burrusseed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/burrusseed
• Facebookfacebook.com/burrusseed
• Instagraminstagram.com/burrus_seed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burrus-seed-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burrus Seed Company