Hendersonville, N.C. – BrightFarms, the No. 1 brand of locally grown packaged salads, will expand into North Carolina with a new 280,000 sq. ft. hydroponic greenhouse in Henderson County. The new greenhouse will deliver up to 2 million lbs. of local leafy greens and herbs to supermarkets in North Carolina and surrounding states.
The North Carolina expansion is driven by strong demand from consumers and leading retailers in the region. Since its entry into retail stores in 2013, BrightFarms has driven incremental growth in the salad greens category for leading retailer partners in markets across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
“Americans want produce that’s fresh, safe and clean. It’s the reason that locally grown has become the #1 purchase driver in produce for supermarkets,” said Steve Platt, BrightFarms CEO. “We are incredibly grateful for the support from Governor Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Commerce and look forward to bringing local, pesticide-free leafy greens to North Carolina and neighboring states.”
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper weighed in on the project. “We are thrilled to welcome BrightFarms to North Carolina. Their sustainable farming will conserve water, land and energy resources and improve the health of North Carolinians,” said Governor Cooper.
BrightFarms’ North Carolina greenhouse is the latest addition to the company’s growing network of sustainable local farms. The company currently operates farms in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois and Ohio. Each farm delivers fresh, pesticide-free baby greens to supermarket partners in as little as 24 hours of harvest. BrightFarms offers a full portfolio of salad greens and herbs including baby spinach, the #1 item for the brand.
To learn more about BrightFarms’ greenhouses and its fresh, local produce visit www.brightfarms.com.
About BrightFarms
BrightFarms is the No. 1 brand of locally grown packaged salads, serving the freshest, tastiest and most responsibly grown produce to consumers nationwide. BrightFarms operates hydroponic greenhouse farms in the communities it serves, enabling it to eliminate time, distance, and costs from the food supply chain. BrightFarms’ growing methods, a model for the future of scalable, sustainable local farming, use far less energy, land and water than long distance, field-grown agriculture. Forbes has recognized BrightFarms as one of the “100 Most Consumer Centric Companies” and Fast Company has recognized BrightFarms as “One of World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” and one of the “Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Food.” BrightFarms is funded by leading investors Cox Enterprises, Catalyst Investors, WP Global Partners and NGEN Partners. For more information, please visit www.brightfarms.com.
