IRVINGTON, NY - There's nothing that excites a consumer more than finding delicious, fresh produce that was grown by a farmer in their own community. Keeping this at the forefront of its expansion strategy is the team at BrightFarms, who is launching into new markets to ensure that retailers and consumers have access to the freshest local pre-packaged salads and herbs.
I caught up with Paul Lightfoot, CEO of BrightFarms, to learn more about the grower’s latest facility openings as it looks to broaden to new markets.
“We feel a little bit lucky with our time and place in history,” Paul tells me. “Consumers want to know where their food comes from, right down to the address and the name of the farmer that grew it, more than ever. They want food that’s safer, fresher, tastes better, and is grown more sustainably, and we’re providing that. We’re in an industry where a lot of the salads are grown on the West Coast. By growing in Ohio and Texas, our product is a week fresher and tastes a lot better, which gives consumers something they can trust. We’re a company with a mission to make America healthier and to improve the environmental footprint of the food supply. By growing our network, we’re able to do more of that and respond to market demand.”
The latest markets BrightFarms has set its sights on are Ohio and Texas. Currently putting the finishing touches on a 140,000-square-foot, chilled-environment high-tech greenhouse, the newest facility in Willmington, OH, is slated to open by July and will service supermarkets in the Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinatti markets. And, with lots of encouragement from the city of Abeline, BrightFarms will be breaking ground on its Texas-based facility this spring, with hopes of finishing by the end of this year. Both the markets in Ohio and Texas, Paul explains, were craving fresh, making them the perfect spots to expand to.
“Our strategy is as clear as a bell,” Paul explains. “We’re taking what already works for us in markets like Washington, DC, where we’re working in partnership with Giant Food Stores, and we’re replicating it in other markets. It works and people like it. Moving forward, we’re just going to keep building until we have a national footprint. Local produce for people in every market in the United States is our plan.”
BrightFarms’ current local farm network extends from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which is meeting the needs for stores in Philadelphia and Central Jersey; Northern Virginia, which is meeting the needs for the greater Washington, DC market, including Baltimore, Maryland, and Virginia; and Illinois, which is meeting the needs in the greater Chicago and Milwaukee areas.
“Everywhere we go, we’re driving category growth,” Paul says. “Our data shows that we are bringing new consumers into the category—people who were not salad buyers, but local buyers, but who are now salad buyers because they found a local program.”
Offering locally-grown, pesticide-free spinach, baby arugula, baby romaine, baby kale, and spring mixes in pre-packaged salad clamshells, BrightFarms is freshening up the salad category and growing with consumer demand. Retailers that are interested in sourcing from BrightFarms Ohio facility can contact the company at [email protected].
Where will BrightFarms head next? Stick with us at AndNowUKnow for the latest in our industry.
