BrightFarms' is on a manufacturing expansion blitz, first launching a greenhouse in Yorkville, Ill., and then a facility in Lorena, Texas, at the end of 2024, as the company demonstrates the power of indoor agriculture to grow fresh produce year-round.
Last fall, BrightFarms launched its Yorkville greenhouse — approximately 54 miles from Chicago — growing its lettuce on “eight acres under glass” with the ability to expand up to 32 acres once the facility is fully constructed, Jess Soare, senior director of marketing at BrightFarms, shared during a tour of the facility.
The first of three regional greenhouses, the Yorkville facility uses a host of automation and greenhouse technologies, including Kubo’s Ultra-Clima greenhouse technology, the company shared in a statement. Ultra-Clima is a semi-closed greenhouse concept that allows for indoor and outdoor air flow and the collection of condensation and rainwater to grow plants.
“This is one of our most state-of-the-art greenhouses in the United States. The facility itself is fully automated. It is fully climate controlled, and so it allows us to be able to grow fresh leafy greens in a perfect condition no matter the climate outside,” Soare said.
Post-acquisition life: Cox Enterprises fuels rapid expansion
In Q1 of 2024, tech and media conglomerate Cox Enterprises acquired BrightFarms and Mucci Farms to launch Cox Farms, a subsidiary focused on indoor agriculture. Cox Farms is expected to generate revenues “approaching $1 billion,” the company shared in a statement.
Cox Enterprises provided BrightFarms the financial capital and support to build these regional greenhouses at an “unprecedented” speed, Soare explained.
Last month, BrightFarms launched its Lorena facility, which is identical in acreages to the Yorkville facility and allows the brand “to service all the major cities and population centers within Texas, as well as even reaching the southwest of the United States for the very first time,” Soare said.
A Georgia facility is expected to go live later this year and will be the third and final step on its manufacturing expansion, she added.
“Our vision at BrightFarms has always been to be able to reach at least two-thirds of Americans with our fresh leafy greens. We really believe in democratizing access to fresh produce for all Americans, and therefore we have strategically located our greenhouses close to major population centers,” Soare elaborated.
‘Our product can get to our consumers in as little as 24 hours’
BrightFarms is demystifying indoor agriculture to consumers by showing how it can create fresher greens and herbs without pesticides, Soare explained. In addition to providing tours to media and social media influencers, BrightFarms dedicates social media posts highlighting its various facilities.
“Consumers are increasingly more and more cognizant of the types of food that they are putting into their body. They are more cognizant about how it is actually being manufactured. They really want to purchase brands that they feel go to market with integrity and have integrity in their manufacturing practices. BrightFarms is able to provide that, and we provide that transparency,” Soare said.
Additionally, BrightFarms extends the shelf-life of vegetables through its highly automated greenhouses, regional manufacturing and distributing approach, Soare noted.
“While our product on a cost per ounce is a little bit higher than a field-grown lettuce that is on shelf, it provides more value because it lasts longer in your fridge. Our product can get to our consumers in as little as 24 hours after it is harvested. And therefore, you the consumer actually get the benefit of that freshness versus that product spending seven to 10 days on a truck coming from California or Arizona to eventually then get into your fridge,” she elaborated.
Videography, editing & production: Carly Rude
