What Latham Hi-Tech Seeds does

Latham Hi-Tech Seeds is a privately held, family-owned seed company founded in 1947 by Willard Latham and headquartered in Alexander, Iowa, currently operating as a trademark of M.S. Technologies, L.L.C. The company markets hybrid corn (77-116 day relative maturity range), soybeans (maturity groups 0.08 to 3.6), alfalfa varieties, and Leafy corn silage hybrids to row-crop farmers and livestock producers across six Upper Midwest states — Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Its product portfolio integrates licensed biotech traits from Bayer, BASF, Corteva, and Syngenta — including SmartStax, Roundup Ready, LibertyLink, Enlist E3, XtendFlex, and Agrisure trait packages — combined with proprietary technology platforms such as the Ironclad soybean disease package, AlfaShield alfalfa seed treatment, SoyShield Plus, and Leafy silage corn hybrid technology.

The company's go-to-market model relies on a farmer-dealer network supported by company-employed District Sales Managers and Sales Agronomists who provide field-by-field product placement guidance and season-long agronomic support. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers contact local representatives directly for quotes, indicating a relationship-driven, transactional B2B-to-SMB sales model where each farmer is a discrete buyer. The business is currently managed by the third generation of the Latham family following the 2009 merger of Latham Seed Company and Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids.

Revenue mechanics are based on one-time seed purchases tied to annual planting cycles — a recurring seasonal buy rather than a subscription. The company has no public funding rounds, no disclosed revenue figures, and no headcount data publicly available, consistent with its family-owned private status. Competitive positioning emphasizes regional specialization, with products selected for Upper Midwest growing conditions, supported by F.I.R.S.T. Trials performance data, the 'Quality' stamp on every soybean bag, and nearly 80 years of continuous family-led operation.

Name

Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

Legal name

Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

Website

https://lathamseeds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Latham Hi-Tech Seeds is a privately held, family-owned seed company founded in 1947 that sells hybrid corn, soybean, and alfalfa seeds to row-crop farmers and livestock producers across six Upper Midwest states through a local farmer-dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Seeds

NAICS

Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Row Crop Seeds (Corn, Soybean, Wheat, Rice, Cotton) (AFABAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM), Biotechnology & Gene-Edited Trait Development (AFAGAIAG)

Keywords

• Hybrid corn seeds
• Soybean seed varieties
• Alfalfa seed products
• Corn silage hybrids
• Crop seed genetics

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexander

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seed Product Sales: Latham Hi-Tech Seeds generates revenue through the sale of hybrid seed corn, soybean seeds, and alfalfa seed products. Products are sold through a network of farmer-dealers and direct sales representatives. The company operates as an independent seed company focused on the Upper Midwest region.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Latham Hi-Tech Seeds produces and sells hybrid seed corn (77–116 day relative maturity), soybeans (maturity groups 0.08–3.6), alfalfa varieties, and corn silage hybrids. Products incorporate licensed biotech traits (Roundup Ready, LibertyLink, Enlist E3, XtendFlex, SmartStax) along with proprietary treatments (AlfaShield, SoyShield Plus) and disease packages (Ironclad), distributed through a farmer-dealer network across the Upper Midwest.

Product overview

Latham Hi-Tech Seeds is an independent seed company offering a comprehensive portfolio of crop seeds and related products for Midwest farmers. The core offerings include corn hybrids (spanning 77-116 relative maturity with traits such as SmartStax, VT2 PRO, PowerCore Enlist, Trecepta, and Conventional varieties), soybean seeds (ranging from maturity groups 0.08 to 3.6 with traits including Enlist E3, LibertyLink GT27, XtendFlex, and Ironclad), alfalfa varieties (LH 8101, LH 9120 BR, and LH 9400 with the AlfaShield seed treatment), and corn silage hybrids featuring Leafy technology. The company also provides SoyShield Plus seed treatment, a Seed Guide resource, soybean blends, and branded Latham Gear merchandise. Products are distributed through a local farmer-dealer network across Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Latham Hi-Tech Seeds: The primary brand name for corn, soybean, and alfalfa seed products.

Products and services

• Corn Hybrids

Quantifiable outcome

• Corn hybrids with 13 F.I.R.S.T. Trials wins (LH 4937 VT2 PRO)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• M.S. Technologies, L.L.C.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerM.S. Technologies, L.L.C. (103 Avenue D, West Point, IA 52656) is the parent company and trademark owner of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. The company licenses the Latham brand and provides technology access including GT27 soybean trait technology.
• Bayer GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationBayer provides critical seed traits including Roundup Ready technology, SmartStax, DroughtGard, VT Double PRO, XtendFlex, and Trecepta corn traits. Latham incorporates Bayer biotechnology traits under license for weed control and insect protection.
• BASF CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationBASF provides LibertyLink trait technology for herbicide tolerance and Liberty herbicide products. The LibertyLink system enables use of glufosinate ammonium herbicide for weed control. Also provides GT27 triple-stack trait technology.
• Corteva AgrisciencecoreTechnology or IntegrationCorteva provides Enlist E3 soybean technology, PowerCore corn technology, Herculex traits, and Refuge Advanced products. The Enlist weed control system provides tolerance to 2,4-D, glyphosate, and glufosinate herbicides.
• Syngenta GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationSyngenta provides Agrisure trait technology including Agrisure Viptera, Duracade, Artesian, and Refuge Renew products. These provide corn borer control and other insect protection traits licensed to Latham seed products.
• Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS)minorOthersIndustry stewardship organization. Bayer, Corteva, and Forage Genetics are members, ensuring compliance with product launch stewardship guidance and biotechnology product commercialization standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Channel Seed (Bayer): Bayer-owned independent-style seed brand using a dealer network model across the Midwest. Competes for the same farmer-dealer relationships and farm customers in the same geography.
• Beck's Hybrids: Largest independent, family-owned U.S. seed company; Midwest-focused corn/soybean seed brand with a farmer-dealer distribution model closely paralleling Latham's. The most directly comparable peer by business model.
• NuTech Seed: Iowa-based independent corn and soybean seed brand with strong dealer network across the Upper Midwest. Directly comparable regional competitor with similar product positioning.
• Wyffels Hybrids: Family-owned, Illinois-based independent corn seed company focused on the central Corn Belt. Closely comparable regional independent with a dealer-driven GTM and similar product portfolio.
• Stine Seeds: Iowa-based independent corn and soybean seed company with deep Upper Midwest roots. Competes head-to-head with Latham in Iowa and surrounding states with a similar regional brand and dealer model.
• Dairyland Seed: Wisconsin-based independent corn and soybean seed company serving the Upper Midwest. Now part of Corteva but operates as a regional brand; directly comparable to Latham in geography and customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Corteva (Pioneer Brand Seeds): Largest U.S. corn/soybean seed brand (Pioneer) and owner of integrated germplasm and trait pipelines (Corteva). Direct competitor in the same Upper Midwest geographies with vastly larger R&D and digital platforms.
• Syngenta (Golden Harvest / NK): Major global seed and crop protection company with strong Midwest presence via Golden Harvest and NK brands. Competes in the same corn/soybean geographies and is a key trait licensor to Latham.
• Bayer Crop Science (Dekalb/Asgrow): Owns Dekalb (corn) and Asgrow (soybeans), the largest integrated seed-and-trait platform globally. Head-to-head competitor in Midwest row crops and one of Latham's most important trait licensors.

Regional players

• Prairie Brand Seed: Iowa-based independent corn and soybean seed brand serving the central Midwest. Comparable regional independent with a similar small-portfolio, dealer-led approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latham-hi-tech-seeds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Latham Hi-Tech Seeds