Investment in innovation pays off for DuPont's agriculture unit

DuPont has charted Delaware's direction for more than 200 years. As the Wilmington-based corporation matured from a small gunpowder manufacturer on the banks of the Brandywine into a $71 billion company, Delaware grew with it. DuPont gave the state a luxury hotel, country clubs and a theater. Family members linked New Castle and Sussex counties by financing DuPont Highway's construction. They built more than 100 schools and even a well-known children's hospital. Now, DuPont is entering its final days as a stand-alone company. It will close a nearly $150 billion merger with The Dow Chemical Co. on Thursday. The deal, which has been in the works since late 2015, will create DowDuPont, a conglomerate with holdings in agriculture, materials sciences and performance materials.DowDuPont will maintain dual headquarters in Wilmington and in Midland, Michigan, where Dow is based. But within two years, DowDuPont will break apart, creating three independent, publicly-traded companies. The agriculture and specialty products spinoffs will be based in Delaware, while a third company focused on material sciences will be headquartered in Midland.Delaware needs the spinoffs to be successful. Their growth is critical to helping reduce a jobless rate that exceeds the national average. Issues like wage stagnation and foreclosures have plagued The First State in recent years.