L. Teweles Seed Co.

History

Ludwig Teweles created the L. Teweles Seed Co. in 1865 when he first started selling chicken feathers, seeds and feed. Teweles immigrated from Bohemia and opened a general store in Kellnersville, a produce business in Sheboygan, a seed company in Milwaukee and finally, the L. Teweles Seed Co. The business grew quickly and became a powerhouse in seed production in the midwest. In 1918 the firm built the tallest building on the south side of Milwaukee, a twelve-story reinforced concrete warehouse and production plant. The building is still standing today and has been renovated as an apartment complex. Teweles Seed differentiated itself in the industry in the 1920s when Hugo Teweles came up with the innovation of branding seed. During World War II there was tremendous demand for seed by foreign war-torn countries, including Germany and England. Teweles was allocated by the US government to ship 6 million pounds of seed to Germany alone. Teweles Seed continued to be a leader in seed production with their expanding product line and focus on ground breaking research. Hugo Teweles was a proponent of hybrid seed research. In 1950 the firm was first to engage in private research to create hybrid seed, most notably corn and alfalfa, and claims to be the pioneer of the world's first alfalfa hybrid. From 1950 to 1964 the company began to focus narrowly on research, with an increase in research spending of 400%. In July 1972 the business was acquired by Kent Feeds and became a wholly owned subsidiary that September.