Nick Hamon, Ph.D.

Behind Bayer innovation and cutting-edge products are people with a passion for finding new ways to solve old problems. A leading researcher in environmental science and pest management, Nick Hamon is responsible for research at Bayer Environmental Science as director of development and technical services. Nick heads up the Bayer team of research scientists who develop and support new products designed to eliminate insect- and plant-related problems ranging from stopping termites and fire ants to growing lush turf.

Much of that research and development work occurs at the Bayer Environmental Science Research Facility near Clayton, N.C., the only U.S. research facility devoted solely to pest control and turfgrass product development. Located near North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, the 280-acre facility is the largest single site in the United States dedicated to this type of research.

A native of the United Kingdom, Nick has been working with insects and biology since the beginning of his career, writing his doctoral thesis on “Insect Biology and Population Dynamics.” Nick, his wife and three children live in New Jersey.

We caught up with Nick recently to learn more about Bayer research efforts and his philosophy on his life’s work.

Q: How is Bayer Environmental Science’s approach to solving problems unique?

A: Everything we do is ‘backed by Bayer’, which from a product development perspective means an outstanding team of highly qualified and dedicated technical staff provides best in class products, training and expertise as well as dedicated facilities.

We are a truly global organization, with more than 200 scientists around the world entirely devoted to environmental science efforts. That means delivering new active ingredients with a competitive edge, groundbreaking innovations in formulation chemistry, novel mixtures and application technology and new solutions to emerging pest problems -- in short, being first with tools and solutions that work.

Q: Bayer has extensive research facilities, led by the research facility at Clayton. Why make that commitment?  

A: We recognized four years ago that we needed our own U.S. environmental science facilities to demonstrate our commitment to this business, for internal and customer training, to work on new active ingredients and projects and for speedy results.

I am quite certain that Bayer has the best technical team in the industry, with 44 environmental scientists in North America working to support our customers. In fact, many have suggested that there is not a university department in the country that could compete with the experience and expertise of our technical team. Nearly half of the team has earned Ph.D. degrees and 70% hold at least master’s degrees.

Q: Can you give us an example of how your team makes a difference in your business? Where do you see your results?

A: The development team has been responsible for developing and supporting more than 50 Bayer brands in the Bayer Environmental Science portfolio. We have more than 20 key projects in development right now, a number of which will dramatically change the way our customers – pest management and lawn and turf care professionals -- do business.

One major program supported by the team was the launch of our new lawn care initiative, in particular the development of TopChoice. With TopChoice, a single application gives season-long control of fire ants both as a curative and preventative treatment – it’s major innovation in public health pest control.

The technical teams also developed Maxforce FC Select Roach Killer Bait Gel to combat emerging cockroach bait problems throughout the United States. Some bait-averse German cockroach strains had been found to avoid all commercial roach bait products, and after four years and several million dollars of intensive research, we introduced Maxforce FC Select as the high-tech solution. Another leading innovation was development and launch of the Maxforce Tick Management System, the result of this successful collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Q: Is there a “human factor” in scientific research?

A: Absolutely. Although Bayer has an outstanding portfolio of products and industry-leading innovations in the pipeline, in the end, it is people and not product that can really make a difference. I believe customers trust the Bayer team to not only deliver solutions specific to their markets, but to provide outstanding product support. Several large agrochemical companies in the marketplace screen active ingredients and develop them for the agrochemical markets, but Bayer is different. The Bayer team is dedicated to finding solutions specifically tailored to our customers rather than just finding ways to send new products into our markets. Believe it or not, the Bayer development team has a combined experience of more than 600 years in industry, and its members are well known and trusted by our customers. Being “best in class” is a hard goal to live up to.

Q: How did you become a researcher?

A: I have been interested in biology as far back as I can remember.  As a child, I was particularly interested in reptiles and amphibians. I really became interested in entomology and research during my undergraduate studies and was keen to do a further degree in entomology. It is quite amusing to watch my youngest daughter, Laura, who is 9, following exactly in my footsteps with her interest in bugs and other critters. My oldest daughter is college-bound this year, and looks set for veterinary medicine…so it appears science is in our blood.

Q: Have you and your family used any of the products you’ve helped create?

A: I live in Sparta, in northwest New Jersey, way out in the woods. Without Bayer lawn care products, I would be hard-pushed to grow any reasonable turf on the poor rocky soil. And we have significant grub problems that are well controlled by Merit.

However, my favorite product right now is the Maxforce Tick Management System. Of the five members of our household, two of us contracted Lyme disease the first year we arrived in New Jersey. Since using Maxforce TMS around our yard, we have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of ticks on our property, and our family clearly has lower risk of contracting the disease again.

Q: At the end of the day, what do you find satisfying about your job?

A: Like all jobs, mine is a mixture of the mundane and the occasionally very exciting. It takes about 10 years and about $200 million to get a new active ingredient to the market place, and I am lucky enough to have been involved in the development of a number of new chemistries in my career, which is always a thrill. I like working with innovative, creative people, as well as groundbreaking projects. I also really like the interaction with our customers, which is happening more and more in the last few years. I have had the rare opportunity to follow a new class of chemistry from the scientist’s bench, through screening and field evaluation, into development and then commercialization.

There’s a quote I like to use, from Peter Drucker, the well-known management guru and futurist. He said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it,” which is exactly what research and development is all about.