West Chicago, Illinois, USA
April 18, 2023
The merger will support global initiatives in tissue culture supply management and continue to build additional licensing opportunities for the horticulture industry.
Outback Plants announces it has merged its tissue culture supply management and genetics licensing activities with Ball Horticultural Company. According to Ball, the merger will strengthen its capabilities of tissue culture supply management by merging and uniting existing talent with the Outback team. Additionally, Outback Plants will continue to foster collaborative relationships with breeders for the commercialization of their genetics through the licensing arrangements for which they are well known.
“For years, Outback Plants has been passionate about refining pathways for tissue culture into both the local and global markets,” says Mark Lunghusen, managing director of Outback Plants. “Merging these services with Ball Horticultural Company is a natural next-step to pursuing even wider assortments of specimens into tissue culture.”
“Mark and his team have built a strong foundation in tissue culture supply management and have found new avenues to bring new and exciting plants to market. Their close relationships with designated labs across all stages of T.C. development places them in the center of this growing segment,” says Allan Davidson, president of Ball Horticultural Company. “We look forward to combining forces and opening new channels for breeding and supply management in this area.”
Through this merger, Ball will retain the naming rights to Outback Plants and Australian Horticultural Services. In addition, Mark Lunghusen will join Ball Horticultural Company in a licensing and supply management position, along with the Outback Plants team who will continue their work on sourcing new plant specimens from independent breeders and building global laboratory relationships.
For more information about research, breeding, production and distribution of ornamental crops from Ball Horticultural Company, please visit our corporate website www.ballhort.com.
About Ball Horticultural Company
Ball Horticultural Company is an internationally renowned breeder, producer and wholesale distributor of ornamental plants. A family-owned business since it was founded in 1905, Ball has introduced many innovative and award-winning varieties to the world of horticulture. The company has worldwide production, sales and marketing through its many subsidiaries on six continents. For further information, visit ballhort.com.
About Outback Plants
Outback Plants is an established horticultural consulting company trusted worldwide to oversee and facilitate successful plant-breeding selections from multiple outside breeding firms. Based outside of Melbourne CBD, Outback Plants works with local and international clients, and provides research, management and market information through expert knowledge in ornamental and production horticulture. Visit australianhorticulturalservices.com to learn more.
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