Monsanto plans $400M expansion in Chesterfield

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Monsanto Co. plans a $400 million expansion at its suburban St. Louis research center that could add 675 jobs over the next three years.

The St. Louis-based agricultural products company said Tuesday that it plans to add 36 new greenhouses, plus additional "plant growth chambers," offices and laboratory space at its Chesterfield Village Research Center. Monsanto says it will shift some existing employees to the new site from its Creve Coeur campus and hire new workers.

Monsanto could receive more than $31 million of state incentives for the expansion.

Construction is scheduled to begin in August and be completed in 2017.

Monsanto already has about 1,000 employees, two acres of greenhouses, about 250 laboratories and 122 plant growth chambers at the Chesterfield site.