Innovations A publication of Hy-Line International
Edition 28
January 2026
Hy-Line International Celebrates 90 Years! Our Roots Run Deep. Our Foundations Are Strong. The story of Hy-Line International begins at the turn of the 20th century, when a bright young man named Henry A. Wallace started experimenting with corn plants on his family’s farm in Iowa. These early, modest attempts at genetic improvement planted the seeds of a dream—one that would eventually launch a company and revolutionize agriculture through the powerful principles of hybridization. Henry A. Wallace was a man with a vision: to harness the power of hybrid genetics to feed the world. His passion for agriculture was sparked during childhood through encounters with the renowned horticulturist George Washington Carver, who stayed with the Wallace family while pursuing postgraduate work at Iowa State College. Carver, a pioneering scientist and son of slaves, befriended young Henry and taught him about plants during their walks together. These formative experiences inspired Wallace to pursue agricultural studies at Iowa State College. After graduating, Wallace began experimenting with corn crosses on five acres of his family’s land near the western edge of Des Moines. Drawing on lessons in plant genetics learned from Carver, Wallace developed hybridized strains of corn—an innovation that became the cornerstone of Iowa row crop agriculture. From these beginnings, he founded Pioneer Hi-Bred Corn Company in 1926 and introduced the first commercial hybrid corn, which became wildly successful. The company was ultimately sold three-quarters of a century later to DuPont for $10 billion. Building on this success, Wallace founded Hy-Line, dedicated to applying hybridization principles to poultry genetics. This groundbreaking approach transformed the egg industry and continues to shape global food production today. Continued on p. 2
Breeding for Tomorrow, Delivering Today: A Message from the President As we step into 2026, I am proud to share our new motto: “Breeding for tomorrow, delivering today.” This phrase captures Hy-Line International’s unwavering commitment to advancing genetic research in laying hens, empowering farmers with robust, efficient birds that help nourish the world with high-quality protein: the egg. Since our founding in 1936, Hy-Line’s mission has been clear: to harness the power of genetic selection to make egg protein more accessible worldwide by improving yields and efficiencies. This year marks an extraordinary milestone—90 years of innovation and leadership in the global egg industry. In this issue, we reflect on our rich history as the first company to In this issue: introduce commercial hybrid laying hens Brown Max in the UK 4 and the countless breakthroughs that have shaped modern layer breeding. Hy-Line Latin America Seminar 5 Transfer Phase in Cage-Free 6–7 Thailand Golf Tournament
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Hy-Line in Indonesia
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Nourishing the World
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Hy-Line Expands Breeder Production
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Brown Max Dominates Layer Test
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Team Member Updates
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Flocks of Excellence
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Jonathan Cade, President
We are proud to continue fulfilling the vision of our founder, Henry A. Wallace, who foresaw the need to feed a growing global population through genetic improvements in agriculture. His pioneering spirit lives on in everything we do. Continued on p. 2 January 2026
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