Stepan Expands AFS Through Partnership with SynTech Research Group

NORTHBROOK, Ill., August 28, 2025 — Stepan Company (NYSE: SCL), a global leader in specialty and intermediate chemicals, has entered into a partnership with SynTech Research Group (SynTech) to expand its Advanced Formulation Services (AFS) platform across North America. This agreement brings together Stepan’s formulation expertise and SynTech’s end-to-end development capabilities to deliver a full-service solution for agrochemical and biological product development. The partnership enables customers to access a seamless continuum of services—from formulation and testing to regulatory and registration support—through a single, integrated platform. 

“By aligning with Stepan, we’re enhancing our ability to support customers from early-stage concepts to commercialization,” said Jasper Barnes, Director, Global Business Development at SynTech.

“This partnership strengthens our AFS offering and ensures our clients have access to world-class field, laboratory, and regulatory services tailored to the unique demands of the North American market,” said Brian Frank, Global Crop Productivity Enablement Director at Stepan. 

Stepan’s AFS platform was developed to accelerate the development of crop protection and biological products by offering formulation design, testing, and scale-up support. 

With combined formulation and chemical innovation hubs in Northfield, Illinois and Winder, Georgia, Stepan can ensure customers with localized support and provide unique solutions to complex problems.

“This collaboration is about more than just services—it’s about accelerating innovation and helping our customers bring safe, effective, and sustainable solutions to market faster,” said Chris Day, Director of Global Marketing – Surfactants at Stepan.

The partnership is now active, and both companies will promote the collaboration across their digital platforms and customer events.

About Stepan Agricultural Solutions

Stepan Agricultural Solutions is a global partner to the crop protection and nutrition industries, offering advanced formulation technologies and services that help customers bring innovative, effective, and sustainable products to market. Through AFS, Stepan provides end-to-end support—from concept development and formulation design to scale-up and field validation. With R&D and application centers in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, Stepan combines deep formulation expertise with regional insights to solve complex challenges in agrochemical and biological product development. Stepan’s commitment to science, sustainability, and customer collaboration drives its mission to help growers protect and nourish crops more efficiently and responsibly. 

About SynTech 

SynTech is a major global provider of contract research supporting the development and registration of agrochemicals, biologicals, and seeds/traits. Operating in over 40 countries, SynTech provides comprehensive field and greenhouse trials, residue and ecotoxicology studies, and regulatory consulting. Its laboratories in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America are equipped with advanced analytical instrumentation to deliver high-quality data and regulatory support for global product registration.

For more information about Stepan Company please visit the Company online at www.stepan.com

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