WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Turf and ornamental pesticide manufacturer Valent U.S.A. Corporation's Web site, www.valent.com, was recently cited as the 2000 "Best Manufacturing Site" by the Web Marketing Association. Following its award-winning year, the site has a new look for 2001 that includes more information and additional solutions to grower problems.
"Visitors to www.valent.com will find that the product information and problem-solution capabilities now include products from the former Abbott Ag Specialities Business, now called Valent BioSciences Corporation (VBC), a subsidiary of Valent U.S.A.," said Valent Communications Manager Kristin LaPorte.
The additional products, along with the sales and marketing functions that support them, are now part of Valent Corporation.
Valent products, with the addition of VBC products, provide producers with biological, chemical and informational resources. While the Valent Web site includes new features, it has retained the features that the WMA judges lauded - the site's clean design and navigation.
"The page layout and navigation are clean and clear, particularly the separation of agricultural and professional products. The problem-solution section is smart in that it re-forms itself based on user response," said one judge.
The Valent site was designed and programmed by Biggs/Gilmore, Valent's advertising agency, in Kalamazoo, Mich.
"We are thrilled to receive this award from one of the interactive industry's best-known groups," LaPorte said. "This reinforces our belief that our dealers, farmers and consultants can easily find a variety of useful information through the site."
The Valent site was one of 20 entries in the manufacturing category, and one of more than 780 entries overall. Competitors in the manufacturing category included DuPont, General Electric, Goodyear and Sterling Trucks. Some of the other 75 categories included non-profit, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and consumer.
Competition sponsor WMA was founded in 1997 to set a high standard for Internet marketing and corporate Web development. Member firms include Internet marketing, advertising, public relations and design professionals from around the nation.
Valent U.S.A. Corporation markets and sells herbicides, insecticides, bio-insecticides, insect growth regulators, nematicides, baits and plant growth regulators for agricultural, horticultural, turf, ornamental and professional pest control markets.