The 1940's
Claude Hope of Sweetwater, Texas was best-in-his-class at Texas Tech, where he met future horticulture expert Charlie Weddle. During their college days, Charlie and Claude had lively discussions about a seed production company that would be an innovation for the industry. Together with Bob Holley, the three of them cultivated an idea that quickly grew and evolved.
In 1946, in Paonia, Colorado, PanAmerican Seed was born.
The three men found the perfect match in each other for collaborating on new and exciting ways of flower breeding. Charlie found a location in the mountains of Western Colorado in which he did his breeding work. And in Costa Rica, Claude founded an infant production facility.