Sep. 21, 2009 (PR Newswire) --

    WHAT:     Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and other key state and local
officials will join Syngenta global Chief Executive Officer Mike
Mack and Syngenta Seeds, Inc. President David Morgan to
celebrate the grand opening of the Syngenta Seeds, Inc.
headquarters facility in Minnetonka, Minn.

Syngenta Seeds, Inc. focuses on developing, producing and
delivering high-yielding corn and soybean seeds to growers in
North America. It is a division Syngenta, a world-leading, $11.6
billion agricultural firm based in Switzerland with more than
24,000 employees worldwide, including more than 400 in
Minnesota.

The new Syngenta Seeds, Inc. facility is home to more than 300
employees from multiple sites across Minnesota. The building is
a three-story, 116,000-square-foot Class A office building
located on 14 acres in Minnetonka, Minn.

WHY:      The Syngenta Seeds, Inc. headquarters, developed by Minnetonka-
based Opus Northwest, sets a standard in sustainable
architecture as one of the few buildings in the area built to
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(R)) Gold
Certification standards. Examples of sustainable elements
include high-efficiency heating and cooling; natural day
lighting, which provides 78 percent of employees direct access
to outside light from their work area; reduced water usage; and
building-wide recycling and composting.

WHO:      300 Syngenta Seeds, Inc. employees will be in attendance.
Speakers at the event include:

* Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
* Syngenta global CEO Michael Mack
* Syngenta Seeds, Inc., President David Morgan
* Minnetonka Mayor Terry Schneider

VISUALS:  Governor Pawlenty and other speakers will dedicate a red pine,
Minnesota's state tree. Guests will each receive a red pine
seedling and Syngenta also will donate 100 seedlings to the
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Mike Mack and David Morgan will
cut a banner and welcome guests to view a short video and tour
the facility.

WHEN/     Monday, Sept. 21, 2009
WHERE:    * 9:30 a.m.   Company and local government officials speak to
Syngenta's commitment to sustainability and the
people of Minnesota
* 10:00 a.m.  Building tours/media availability with Mike Mack
and David Morgan
* 11:30 a.m.  Dedication of state tree and reading of state
proclamation by Governor Tim Pawlenty

Syngenta Seeds, Inc.
11055 Wayzata Blvd.
Minnetonka, Minn. 55305-1526

CONTACT:         Tracy Kurschner, 612-309-3957,
tkurschner@webershandwick.com

SOURCE Syngenta Seeds, Inc.