Seed company investing $1.2M to expand SC operations

Mixon Seed Service, a 50-year-old company founded in Orangeburg, S.C., is investing $1.2 million to expand its operations in neighboring Calhoun County.

Mixon has purchased the L.B. Wannamaker Seed Co. facility in St. Matthews and will repurpose it as a cover crop production facility and retail storefront.

Mixon supplies high-yield cover crop and wildlife blends throughout the region. Its offerings include peanuts, beets, kale, mustard greens, radishes and turnips, as well as corn, grains, grasses and wildflowers.

The expansion is expected to create nine jobs.

“We are excited to bring these two storied companies together and create a robust growth plan for the future that builds on the cover crop and wildlife seed experience already in place,” Robert Etheridge, president of Mixon Seed Service, said in a news release. “Cover crops are a primary tool for advancing climate -smart agriculture, and this investment will allow us to better meet the needs of the local area and the region.”

Mixon has distribution centers in Orangeburg and Newton, Georgia. L.B. Wannamaker Seed Co. closed earlier this year with the retirement of Luther Wannamaker, who ran the business for 57 years.

“Mixon’s expansion is a great example of a local agribusiness fueling South Carolina’s economy by growing to serve new markets,” S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said. “We’re thrilled that Mixon Seed Service is continuing to invest in South Carolina farmers and our state’s future.”