RubberNews.com, April 25, 2013

CARLSBAD, Calif.—Kultevat L.L.C. appears to be ready to spread its wings after almost five years of building its operation.

Founded by entrepreneur Daniel R. Swiger, the company is moving rapidly toward its primary goal of full-scale production of rubber and sugar syrup from Russian dandelion plants (Taraxacum kok-saghyz or TKS) in the U.S. and abroad by 2016.

“Currently we are producing small amounts of rubber with larger acres of TKS going in the ground in fall 2013,” he said. “TKS is an annual crop, so we can plant, grow and process in one year versus two years for guayule and seven years for hevea.”

The firm is growing the plants in 12 states and searching for other acreage in Canada and Mexico.
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