SGS Memphis and SGS Mid-west Seed Services

SGS Memphis: Tallahassee Seed Lab

The original TALLAHASSEE SEED LAB was opened in 1952 by Mildred Miller in her home. Mildred Miller had worked for the Florida Dept. of Agriculture Seed Lab for 12 years prior to opening the laboratory. In 1979 Mildred passed away and the lab was taken over by Rose Clark who had also worked at the Florida State Lab. The business soon outgrew Rose's home and she moved it to a building on south Monroe St. in Tallahassee. A few years later the lab was moved to it's present location at 1510 Capital Circle SE Suite E1. In 1993 Rose became ill and sold the business to Dr. Shirley West (Professor at the University of Florida, Gainsville, FL) and three others. Rose passed away Nov. 1, 1993. Dr. West changed the name of the laboratory to AGRI-SEED TECHNOLOGIES. Through the years Dr. West remained one of the owners but the others dropped out and in the final outcome the laboratory was owned by him and Jan Sasser.

Dr. West and Jan Sasser sold the lab to Mid-West Seed Services in July of 2002. Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. of Brookings, South Dakota.

On August 13, 2004 Mid-West Seed Services sold the lab to a Florida corporation and the name was changed to TALLAHASSEE SEED TESTING, LLC.

In April 2007 TALLAHASSEE SEED TESTING, LLC. sold the lab to SGS and relocated operations to Memphis, Tennessee. The laboratory is now called SGS Memphis. David Johnston is the current manager and Registered Seed Technologist (RST).

SGS Mid-West Seed Services (SGS MWSS) Inc.

The company originally started by Tim Gutormson and Sharon Hanson in the basement of their house near Bruce, South Dakota in July 1993. In November of 1994 the business moved to Brookings South Dakota and leased 4,000 sq. ft. from the Brookings Area Development Corporation.

In September 1997 the business relocated into a new 10,000 sq. ft. facility with expanded germination, vigor, herbicide, wet laboratory, and purity testing areas.

In November of 1998 an 8,000 sq. ft. addition was completed for expanded soybean and purity testing.

Nov. 2001 a 10,000 sq. ft. addition was completed to expand DNA and transgenic testing services. In May 2007 Tim Gutormson and Sharon Hanson sold Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. to SGS of Geneva Switzerland. SGS renamed the company SGS Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. in 2008. SGS MWSS employs more than 20 full-time seed analysts, ten of which are Registered Seed Technologists (RSTs); three Registered Genetic Technologists (RGTs), five Certified Genetic Technologists (CGTs), three Certified Viability Technologists (CVTs), and one Certified Purity Technologist (CPT).

SGS MWSS is an ISTA accredited Laboratory, as well as an ISO9001 certified company. Tim Gutormson now serves as the Vice President and Regional Business Manager.