Certis Biologicals Continues To Build Out Its Business

With a direct goal of strengthening the Certis Biologicals pipeline, Mike Allan has assumed the new role of Vice President of Business Development and Licensing. He will oversee how the company pursues partnerships, licensing and potential acquisitions.

Allan says the biological space has grown in recent years because of two key drivers: 

• Improved products with ease of handling and storage
• Greater opportunities to bring biologicals in tandem with conventional crop protection products

“Biologicals are gaining momentum on a daily basis,” Allan says. “Certis Biologicals has as strong hold in the specialty business, but there are increasing opportunities with greater usage and adoption in row crops as well.” 

Allan notes Certis Biologicals is investing in its pipeline as well as significant team expansion to bring those products to the field. The company has hired technical experts across several disciplines to serve its specialty and row crop businesses. Additionally, the company has expanded its current and a new lab space located at its headquarters in Columbia, MD.

“There is a level of excitement about what’s possible as we invest internal resources and partner with external collaborators to deliver new opportunities for growers to tackle problematic diseases or pests in the field in a way that offers more convenience and improved results,” Allan says. 

He shares the relationship with Kaken Pharmaceuticals and the  biofungicide Oso as a previous example of a product Certis partnered to distribute. 

“We’ve always been collaborative, but now we’re leaning even more into partnerships with a focus and goal of bringing forward more new technology,” Allan says. 

Allan joined the company in 2018 and before this announcement served as vice president of North America. 

“Certis has been a pioneer in the biologicals space. Adoption is reaching a higher level today than it has in the past because people are able to envision the incorporation of how biologicals work for them.”

Allan expects even more growth in the space in the next 12 months. 

“Our pipeline is quite large—there is no lack of opportunities. The biggest challenge today is how to prioritize all of the possibilities. It’s a good problem to have.”