BrightFarms has opened its new greenhouse hub in Yorkville, Illinois, a city within the Chicago Metropolitan area. This is the first of three new regional greenhouse hubs opening for the company in 2024, tripling its capacity to provide fresh, locally-grown leafy greens to consumers across the Eastern and Central U.S.
"Our expansion marks a pivotal moment for us after more than a decade of growth, and is the first step toward creating a coast-to-coast indoor supply chain," said Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms. "With the addition of our three new eight-acre hubs in Illinois, Texas, and Georgia, we're increasing our growing capability to 150 million pounds of leafy greens annually."
State-of-the-art production facilities - which include KUBO's Ultra-Clima greenhouse technology - are a key component to the company's success. This innovation allows BrightFarms to maintain and generate the optimal climate 365 days a year, regardless of the geography or external climate.
The Yorkville facility is the first of three new regional greenhouse hubs opening for the company in 2024. Photo: BrightFarms.
For Chicagoland, the opening of the Yorkville greenhouse means the community will have access to fresh, pesticide-free leafy greens year-round. Today, Chicagoans can find the company's leafy greens at Jewel-Osco, Mariano's, Pick N Save, and more.
"We are thrilled to welcome BrightFarms to our community, providing fresh, local, and pesticide-free leafy greens to the Chicagoland area year-round," said Mayor of Yorkville, John Purcell.
Cox Enterprises became the majority investor in BrightFarms in October 2020 and fully acquired the company in August 2021. With a commitment to sustainability, Cox has invested over $2 billion in eco-friendly businesses and technologies. Through Cox Farms, its new venture into controlled environment agriculture, BrightFarms is helping transform access to greenhouse-grown leafy greens across the U.S. With an ambitious expansion plan for 2024, BrightFarms is set to serve more than two-thirds of the U.S. population, aiming to generate over $300 million in revenue by 2026.
"With the growing consumer preference for fresher, more responsibly-grown produce, especially in the salad category, we are continuing to invest to meet the ever-increasing demand," said Steve Bradley, president of Cox Farms.
As for the additional greenhouse hubs in Macon, Georgia, and Lorena, Texas, construction is already underway and will be completed by the end of the year. Once fully built, the three new greenhouses will have 7x BrightFarms' growing capacity, adding nearly 100 acres and reinforcing its position as the number one grower of indoor-grown salad kits.
For more information:
BrightFarms
Tel: +1 (866) 857-8745
www.brightfarms.com