Consumers in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus will soon have access to year-round locally grown produce as BrightFarms gears up for the opening of its Wilmington, Ohio greenhouse in July.
BrightFarms has emerged as a supplier of pesticide and herbicide free locally grown greens with farms in the Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia markets. The company said its products are helping to drive sales with key consumers at a time when the competition in grocery has hit an all-time high. “Data from existing programs paints a very good picture about the demographics the BrightFarms brand attracts,” says Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms CEO. “We over-index with young health-conscious shoppers that heavily shop the fresh perimeter." According to the company, National source of volume data shows that BrightFarms volume delivers category growth, bringing new consumers to the category (+3%) and strong incremental purchases (+22%).
The 140,000 sq. ft. greenhouse is slated to start shipping in July 2018. BrightFarms will harvest 6 days per week and deliver to customers within 24 hours. Products include: Baby Spinach, Spring Mix, Baby Arugula, 50/50 Spring Mix/Spinach Blend, Baby Kale, Baby Romaine and “Sunny Crunch” (a unique variety of iceberg lettuce). “We also offer the opportunity to customize blends for specific needs,” said Nick Chaney, Head Grower for the Ohio facility. “We have a pipeline of exciting new products to delight consumers with varieties they’ve never seen or tasted before.”
Retailers or distributors that are interested in sourcing from BrightFarms Ohio facility can contact the company at Ohio@brightfarms.com to receive samples of products. BrightFarms said committed customers will be guaranteed year-round high quality local supply. “Locally grown fresh produce has been the number one demand trend with the ultimate consumer for many years,” said Reggie Griffin, former Corporate VP of Produce for The Kroger Co. “Having commercial-scale locally-grown baby leaf greens and herbs are great for everyone including the great state of Ohio. BrightFarms has a proven track record and is a company that is reshaping the supply of locally grown fresh leafy salad greens and herbs for retailers who are dedicated to supplying their consumers these products."
For more information:
Matt Grant
BrightFarms
Tel: +1 (212) 358-1100