SALINAS, CA - When I hear the word acquisition, I can’t help but be intrigued. Couple that with the star power of Tanimura & Antle, and you’ve got a story that demands attention. Recently, Tanimura & Antle announced its acquisition of Green City Growers, an operation based in Boston, Massachusetts. This merger builds upon both companies’ passion for creating hands-on educational experiences for consumers and promoting healthy lifestyles.
“Our investment in Green City Growers is our next level of engagement to continue our efforts to impact the lives of all. Our philosophy has always been a learning by doing approach. By reaching children, charitable organizations, corporations, wellness, and community outreach programs, we can have a strong impact on promoting a healthy lifestyle,” said Scott Grabau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tanimura & Antle. “This partnership and acquisition will also provide our retail and foodservice partners their own opportunity to have an impact in the communities they serve by partnering with us on these programs.”
The combined goal of this partnership is to access and serve individuals and local communities not ordinarily provided with the opportunity to connect with their food, a press release explained, while strengthening the food supply by providing a supplemental, healthy, and independent food source.
Both Tanimura & Antle and Green City Growers are centered around increasing awareness, building engagement, and providing shoppers with education on where their food comes from.
Upon its founding in 1982, Tanimura & Antle—and the two families that give the company its name—created a partnership centered on equality, trust, and ownership. Since then, it has become a leader in first-to-market product offerings and industry innovations regarding how food is produced and delivered. Throughout its tenure, the company has built a culture that focuses on its employees, customers, and suppliers.
Similarly focused on the development of its people, Green City Growers began its business in 2008 by installing and maintaining raised garden beds at people’s homes. The certified benefit corporation (B-corp) then expanded business to include schools, non-profits, corporate clients, and real estate companies. Part of what makes Green City Growers special is that it provides its customers with the infrastructure, tools, and educational resources required in order to grow their own fresh produce—all using the principles of organic, regenerative, and pesticide-free agriculture practices.
“We see innovation in the food production and distribution chains as a societal and environmental necessity. We are implementing creative and realistic solutions that help meet the multiple challenges food systems currently face. We work toward this while at the same time providing local jobs, sourcing local materials, and supporting local economies,” said Chris Grallert, President of Green City Growers. “With a solid business foundation in our proven and robust soil growing technologies, we can now thoughtfully look into how we can expand our custom services in other areas of urban agriculture, including vertical and other indoor technologies. I could not be more excited about this new partnership.”
Under the new ownership, the company will continue doing business as Green City Growers with Chris Grallert as President of this new partnership.
The experience that Green City Growers brings to the table is vast, as it offers consulting on design, workshops, virtual engagement, and educational opportunities, the release went on to note. With this certification comes a mission that combines bottom-line success with environmental and social responsibility. Green City Growers reaches thousands of children and adults with hands-on educational programs about growing healthy food.
To date, Green City Growers has installed hundreds of garden spaces using organic, regenerative, and pesticide-free agriculture practices and currently services over 150 unique farm and garden locations. These operations range from small, raised garden beds to rooftop farms and can be found throughout New England, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.
Green City Growers services a rooftop farm on top of Whole Foods Market in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, and is the Red Sox’s “other farm team,” having maintained the rooftop farm at Fenway Park since 2015. In addition to these unique farm and garden locations, Green City Growers also manages garden education programs for public schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and supports wellness and sustainability programs for property management, real estate companies, and corporations with their own gardens.
Given that Tanimura & Antle’s culture fosters innovation, it is no surprise that it would find a kindred spirit in Green City Growers.
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