Aug 24, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. ArborGen, LLC, a global leader in tree improvement technologies, announced on August 23, 2007 its three owners have agreed to contribute to ArborGen the respective U.S.-based nursery and seed orchard businesses of International Paper and MeadWestvaco, and of Rubicon Limited in New Zealand and Australia. The transaction is a significant step forward in ArborGen's strategy for future growth and positions the company as a full-service tree supplier to the global forestry industry. These transactions add world-leading production, sales and distribution operations to ArborGen's present position as a leading tree biotechnology company and bring an extensive customer base with over 350 million annual tree stock sales and combined revenues of over $25 million, along with a pipeline of world-class elite pine and hardwood germplasm. Important synergies will be realized through combining in excess of 50 years of tree improvement know-how and expertise. The operations now include the nursery and seed businesses, including physical operations, certain land holdings, research and development, pine and hardwood germplasm and breeding programs. ArborGen's operation will now span more than 20 locations in four countries and include more than 185 employees. Dr. Barbara Wells, president and chief executive officer of ArborGen observed that the acquisition provides the company with a large and established presence in the important North American and Australasian markets, with immediate sales revenue and cash flow, in addition to ArborGen's portfolio of elite tree products. "The addition of these world-class assets and sales networks to our advanced product portfolio transforms ArborGen into a fully integrated, full-service tree improvement company, confirming our position as a world leader in tree genetics, products and services," said Ms. Wells. Ms. Wells added that on the product side, the acquisitions bring immediate benefits to customers, including access to ArborGen's elite pine varietals and the superior pine and hardwood products of International Paper, MeadWestvaco and Rubicon. "By expanding ArborGen's current loblolly pine varietal offerings to include SuperTree Seedlings from International Paper, the MCP (Mass Controlled Pollination) seedlings of MeadWestvaco, and Rubicon's Horizon2 operations, ArborGen can now offer customers a complete suite of high value products and services," said Ms. Wells. "ArborGen's ongoing research and development will remain focused on delivering the highest quality trees in the future." ArborGen currently has in field trials more than 3 000 loblolly pine varietals, planted across 35 distinct geographic sites in the U.S., the largest trial database of its kind in North America. In Australia and New Zealand ArborGen gains access to an equivalent number of Radiata pine varietals in field trials. The expanded market access provided by the addition of the nursery and seed orchard operations allows ArborGen to leverage this intellectual property into high value products and services for the Company and its customers. ArborGen, LLC, headquartered in Summerville, South Carolina, is a world leader in the research, development and commercialization of technologies that provide purpose grown trees for the forest products industry. The company is also developing trees as feedstock for ethanol production, an important solution for meeting the world's growing demand for renewable energy. ArborGen is dedicated to developing purpose grown trees that produce more wood on less land in sustainable planted forests, thereby conserving the world's native forests in all their diversity for future generations.