Author: Indoor Ag-Con

Indoor Ag-Con Announces Inaugural Advisory Board

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on December 15, 2020. Posted in Blog.

Committee of Industry Leaders From Indoor Agriculture, Grocery, Specialty Food, Commercial Real Estate, Hemp, Other Sectors To Provide Guidance, Insights To Help Shape 2021 Exposition & Conference

LAS VEGAS (December 15, 2020) – Indoor Ag-Con, the premier trade show for the indoor agriculture | vertical farming industry, announces the formation of its inaugural advisory board. Bringing together industry leaders from across the agriculture supply chain – from indoor farming to grocers to commercial real estate – the new board will advise and help shape the educational conference and exhibition floor offerings of the 2021 edition of Indoor Ag-Con and other new initiatives planned for the coming year.

“As we look at the challenges and opportunities the Covid-19 crisis has brought to live events and indoor agriculture, it’s more important than ever that we work with a group of recognized thought leaders in the industry to act as our Advisory Board to guide us in the right direction as we plan our 2021 event,” said Nancy Hallberg, co-owner, Indoor Ag-Con.

“Taking this a step further, we wanted our board to include leaders from key industry sectors that drive and intersect with indoor agriculture, like grocery business, commercial real estate, alternative crops and others,” adds Brian Sullivan, co-owner, Indoor Ag-Con. “For 2021, successful indoor agriculture business development strategies will be the primary focus for our event. The insights and intelligence we’ll gather from these successful leaders of indoor agriculture, as well as a number of the sectors our attendees and exhibitors hope to do business with, will go a long way in shaping meaningful content, networking and exhibition opportunities.”

2021 Indoor Ag-Con Advisory Board

Samuel Bertram, CEO | Co-Founder, OnePointOne, Inc.
Julie Emmett, Senior Director, Retail Partnerships Plant Based Foods Association
Greg Ferrara, President & CEO, National Grocers Association
Henry Gordon Smith, CEO & Managing Director, Agritecture
Marni Karlin, Executive Director, CEA Food Safety Coalition
Tracy Lee, Division Lead, CEA Department, Sakata Seed Company
Jody McGinness, Executive Director, Hemp Industries Association
Tim McGuinness, Sterling Advisory Group & Former SVP, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Chris Nemchek, President , Coach Global Solutions & Former SVP, Specialty Food Association
Matt Roy, Vice President of Business Development Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), Tanimura & Antle
E. Austin Webb, CEO & Co-Founder, Fifth Season, Powered By Robotany
Nona Yehia, CEO | Co-Founder ,Vertical Harvest

For 2021, Indoor Ag-Con will co-locate with The National Grocers Association (NGA) Show, the leading trade show and conference for independent grocers. The combined event will be held at the new Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas from May 16-18, 2021. The NGA Show and Indoor Ag-Con visitors will have access to all exhibits, and discounts will be available for cross-over educational event attendance.

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON

Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the premier trade event for vertical farming | indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis |hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. In December 2018, three event industry professionals – Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki and Brian Sullivan – acquired Indoor Ag-Con LLC , so setting the stage for further expansion of the events globally. More information: https://indoor.ag

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More Choices | New Jiffy Essence and Jiffy Finesse Growbags

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on December 14, 2020. Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News.

Jiffy has doubled its range of growbags. Now it’s easier than ever for plant propagators and growers to meet their crops’ needs and boost yields.

New Jiffy Essence Growbags: the perfect budget choice

Jiffy Essence is our new standard range of growbags. Filled with Jiffy’s high-quality peat-free substrate, Jiffy Essence Growbags are delivered ready to be rinsed and treated by the end user. That way propagators and growers can save costs and meet the exact needs of their crops. Recommended for tomatoes, cut flowers, hemp, etc. Jiffy Essence Growbags are OMRI-listed, ISO-certified, and are suitable for USDA-certified organic produce.

Jiffy’s premium growbags now called Jiffy Finesse

Jiffy Essence is the little brother to our premium range, the famous growbags Jiffy has produced for years. The premium range is now called Jiffy Finesse, to make it easier to differentiate. Jiffy Finesse Growbags are ready-to-use: no rinsing or treatment is required. Best for sweet peppers, soft fruit cultivated in high-tech growing systems, and other demanding crops.

Note: All Jiffy Essence and Jiffy Finesse Growbags are made from exactly the same raw materials: 100% high-quality coir made from the pithy tissues of the coconut husk. Our coir is a renewable, eco-friendly substrate with no disposability issues.

So what’s changed exactly?

Jiffy Essence is our brand-new range. Jiffy Essence Growbags contain our high-quality coir, but this has not been treated. The end-user must rinse it and may choose to treat it before use.

When it comes to Jiffy Finesse, nothing has changed – except the name. Our high-end, RHP certified growbags are now called Jiffy Finesse. They are guaranteed low in sodium and chloride thanks to our RHP-certified treatment process. Their optimized EC levels ensure the best possible yields.

Netled’s Vera® Vertical Farming Technology Introduced In S Groups’ Prisma Hypermarkets

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on December 14, 2020. Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News.

Netled has entered into a significant long-term cooperation agreement with Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa, a regional operator of the largest commercial chain in Finland, the S Group. Prisma Pirkkala, which opened at the beginning of December, is the first hypermarket in Finland to launch Netled’s new Vera® Instore Cabinet inside its new store.

Netled’s Vera® produced herbs and salads will be sold in Prisma hypermarkets in the Pirkanmaa area. Leafy greens are produced within the store in Vera® Instore Premium Growing Cabinets. Herbs are harvested directly off the shelf. The growing conditions are automated and controlled remotely.

S Group is a customer-owned Finnish network of companies in the retail and service sectors, with more than 1 800 outlets in Finland. S Group’s main branches are grocery, consumer goods, hotels and restaurants, fuel trade and bank & services. As a major operator, the S Group’s main focus is also sustainable food, and the new ways it can offer healthy and responsibly produced food for its customers.

”With this newly formed collaboration, we can offer consumers fresh, ultra-locally produced products and at the same time introduce them to vertical farming as a method of ecological, urban farming.” – Ville Jylhä, COO of Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa.

”We have developed our range of offering for different segments of vertical farming. Instore growing systems is interesting and growing segment and as technology provider we have a lot to offer for it. Co-operation with Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa proves the viability of instore concept also for our other customers and partners globally.” – Niko Kivioja, CEO of Netled.

The Benefits Of Keeping Greenhouse Technology Simple

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on December 14, 2020. Posted in Blog.

Sourced From Greenhouse Grower Magazine

Greenhouse equipment should be simple for the end user. This was the topic of a blog post written earlier this year by Chris Higgins, General Manager and Co-owner of HortAmericas, a wholesale supply company. The main message offered by Higgins was that the most successful products should be easy to use, learn, operate, and maintain. Why does this matter? It affects how much money a grower can make, as smart purchases can lead a better return on investment (ROI).

So how can this relatively simple concept carry out across the controlled-environment industry? Higgins tried to tackle this topic with three market experts during a webinar in October that was part of the Indoor Ag-Conversations webinar series. Joining Higgins were Nadia Sabeh, President and Founder of Dr. Greenhouse, an HVAC design company; Paul Brentlinger, President of Crop King Inc., a greenhouse manufacturer and hydroponic supply company; and Isaac Van Geest of Zwart Systems, an irrigation company.

Together, the group offered several thoughts on how growers can make sure they are being smart in their equipment investments. Here are some of their top insights.

Every greenhouse location has its own unique properties, such as sunlight, temperature, and humidity, Sabeh says. Putting those together adds a level of complexity to any design process, but the end result will hopefully optimize the environment for the crop.
“One thing we see is not a lot of focus on how systems interact with each other, like air flow and how it’s affected by fans, evaporative cooling pads, or screens,” Sabeh says. “Growers need to look at the entire system as a whole, not piece by piece.”
Plan ahead before working with your supplier, Van Geest says.
“It’s important to know everything you need from the beginning,” Van Geest says. “We can then take all those things into account when planning a design.”
There’s so much new technology out there that it might create headaches when you try to sort it all out. The problem, Brentlinger says, is the equipment is not always as simple as it seems.
“Technology get better every year, and you can always upgrade, but the design needs to stay simple,” Brentlinger says. “Our focus is on designing for simplicity to maximize return on investment. If we can’t show the ROI, we won’t suggest the system.”
Simplicity doesn’t change, even if the equipment does, according to Van Geest.
“We have updated our boom controllers several times, but they still need to work in a simple way,” Van Geest says.
In too many cases, after the supplier leaves the job site, the grower is left to figure out how to fine tune the system, Sabeh says. The problem is that growers are not often prepared to operate on that level of complexity to maintain and monitor new high-tech equipment.
“My concern with very advanced technology is that growers will take for granted the plants they have and the system they have,” Sabeh says. “They think they don’t need to be engaged. I still want growers to walk through the crop and scout, no matter how simple or complex their system is. You have to know how the plant responds to the system and vice versa.”
Simple does not mean sub-par; it means a well-engineered product that is easy to operate, Higgins says.
“Simple should be a compliment to the engineer, as it implies that the product is designed well.”

Article by Brian D. Sparks, senior editor of Greenhouse Grower and GreenhouseGrower.com. See all author stories here.

Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting Release 2nd Annual CEA Census Report

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on December 14, 2020. Posted in Blog.

Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting have released the 2nd Annual CEA Census Report highlighting positive signs of growth despite the global pandemic.

Data captured over an 8-week period show 95% of growers have an optimistic outlook for the next 12 months with all types of operations including greenhouses, shipping containers, tunnel and vertical farms showing profitability.

“The optimism reflects what we have seen across many areas of the industry including increased technology adoption and increased consumer expenditure on fresh produce. And despite the challenges we’re seeing an overwhelming number of new entrants into the market,” says Autogrow CEO Darryn Keiller.

“What has not changed is the high percentage of new growers, almost 50%, that have no experience in agriculture before starting their business. That lack of experience has an impact on new technology solutions created and the need for more education to be available to support them. It also shows a real desire to make a difference considering their willingness to start during a pandemic.”

Respondents from 58 countries shared their views on their farming practices, financials, and the impact of COVID-19. The report also gave insight on three key growth regions around the world – India, the UK and MENA (Middle East & North Africa).

“The results of the 2020 Census confirmed our hypothesis that the UK, India, and MENA regions are the emerging hotspots for CEA, albeit for different reasons. In the UK, Brexit is driving investment towards CEA to combat supply chain risks, while in India rising population and increased premium consumer demand for clean food are driving CEA. In the MENA region, government responses to COVID-19 have accelerated policies and incentives for developing scalable CEA solutions,” explains Agritecture Consulting Founder Henry Gordon-Smith.

“All of these regions present great opportunities for the CEA industry to grow and make a meaningful impact on their respective local conditions.”

Other takeaways from the Census:

· CEA businesses showing optimism and resilience despite the COVID hurdles

· 88% of growers surveyed are below age 50

· 29% of respondents receive funding from multiple sources

GET 2020 CEA GLOBAL CENSUS REPORT

About Autogrow

Autogrow leverages the power of technology, data science and plant biology to provide indoor growers affordable, accessible and easy-to-use innovation – 24/7, anywhere in the world.

Our solutions support growers and resellers in over 40 countries producing over 100 different crop types.

We are the experts in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and continue to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving landscape.

About Agritecture Consulting

Agritecture Consulting provides a comprehensive approach to CEA project development.

In operation since 2014, Agritecture has helped more than eighty organizations determine the feasibility of their ideas, validate their business strategies, recruit talent for their projects, and manage operational challenges.

Our job is to jumpstart your knowledge of CEA, help you navigate barriers to entry, make industry connections, and mitigate risk. Our consulting services are backed by several years of operations data and a team of experienced growers, engineers, and sustainability managers.

Talking AI With Samuel Bertram, CEO & Co-Founder, OnePointOne

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on November 17, 2020. Posted in Blog.

OpenPointOne Bertram Brothers Indoor Ag-Con Blog — L-R: OnePointOne Co-Founders Samuel and John Bertram

What’s in a name? For brothers Samuel and John Bertram, it signifies nothing short of a desire to improve the human condition by revolutionizing agriculture through automated indoor farming. Their company, OnePointOne, is on a mission to nourish and heal humanity by unleashing the power of plants.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, the duo came to the US in the 2010s on collegiate tennis scholarships. Over the years, they honed skills off the court– including electrical, mechanical and robotic engineering — and began searching for business opportunities that could affect large-scale, positive changes on human health, the environment and agriculture.

Galvanized by the fact that 1.1 billion people began this millennium malnourished, Samuel and John co-founded OnePointOne, Inc. in 2017. Serving as a constant reminder of what they’re aiming to solve, aptly named OnePointOne has developed an automated, aeroponic, indoor farming system to grow fresh food in urban areas around the world. OnePointOne’s proprietary technology now powers Willo, the company’s new consumer brand, which launched earlier this year. Willo’s Farming as a Service (FaaS) subscription model is designed to reconnect people and families directly to the farm and the initial response has exceeded all expectations.

In this month’s Indoor Ag-Con Q & A, OnePointOne Co-Founder & CEO Samuel Bertram shares his thoughts on opportunities for the vertical farming industry, emerging AI innovations and plans for his own growing business.

When one thinks of AI for indoor agriculture, what are some of the key areas of need that indoor growers have today?

AI refers to the developing ability for machines to replicate human decision-making and behavior. That said, areas for useful AI development include:

Plant Health – Using AI to determine the health status of any plant by comparing large—predominantly imagery—data sets against in-situ imagery: disease detection, photosynthetic health, etc.
System Monitoring – Beyond direct sensor readings, large data sets of factors like CO2, fluid flow, fluid pressure, temperature, and others, can be used to determine more anomalous malfunctions of the system
System Optimization – Large data sets describing the life experience of the plant, i.e. light levels, temperatures, and humidity, can be used to improve the performance of the system to any cultivar.

By taking in large quantities of data from a variety of environmental, system and plant sensors, AI techniques can be applied to optimize performance of the vertical farming system and assist growers in their role as farm operator. While traditional sensor readings like temperature, humidity and flow rate are vital, plant imagery is a requirement to unlock AI’s power in vertical farming. Without high-frequency, high-resolution, hyper-spectral imagery of all plants in vertical farm production, the vertical farming industry will never reach its full potential. OnePointOne has focused heavily on collecting, analyzing and providing that imagery data to our growers.

It’s important to note that while AI can handle far more data than a human being, humans are still superior when it comes to complex decision-making in most cases. Therefore, AI should be focused on deriving learnings from massive data sets, informing growers of those learnings, and unlocking the potential of the system and the grower.

Cost is a critical component to any indoor farm operating, hopefully, profitably. Please share some idea of the cost spectrum (low to high) when one considers the implementation of ANY AI technology system within an indoor farm.

I would break this down as follows:

1. Labor is the highest operating expense cost inside of a vertical farm. Therefore, vertical farms must optimize their utilization of labor.
2. After automating processes like seeding, plant movement, and plant harvest/packaging, vertical farms must solve the problem of system and plant monitoring costs.
3. If system and plant monitoring become automated, high-skilled labor can be centralized.
4. Centralizing high-skilled labor dramatically improves the cost and scalability metrics of vertical farming.
5. Without high-frequency, high-resolution, hyper-spectral imagery of all plants within a production system, centralization of high-skilled labor cannot occur.
6. Without this significant improvement in labor utilization, vertical farms will continue to struggle for profitability.

The highest-impact application of AI in vertical farming is through the analysis of environmental, system and plant-imagery data-points and their corresponding impact on plant yield and quality.

Then, AI can “automatically” improve the quality and yield of biomass, while optimizing the use of resources, i.e., light, HVAC and irrigation.

Optimizing the usage of electrons for lighting, temperature and humidity control is the perfect job for AI. This will dramatically improve the economics of vertical farming over time.

You are a Bronco from the University of Santa Clara. How can higher education, top horticulture universities and R&D institutions help accelerate AI technology in indoor vertical farming?

I see three clear ways these institutions can help:

1. Cultivating high-quality minds that will push our industry forward
2. Conducting vast numbers of experiments to develop AI algorithms to detect optimal and suboptimal plant health (potentially high-throughput phenotyping, for example)
3. Licensing state-of-the-art vertical farming technology to standardize production in pursuit of standardizing data

Given OnePointOne’s location in the heart of the Silicon Valley, are you seeing any large tech firms getting involved with AI for indoor horticulture? If so, who?

Absolutely. Two come immediately to mind:

Google is diving deep into imagery-data analysis for outdoor farms. It is only a matter of time before they venture into the vertical farming space.

Amazon (AWS) has developed several teams and tools that can assist vertical farms in their storage and analysis of data.

What are some of the AI advancements OnePointOne is focused on now?

Imagery, imagery, imagery. Similar to Tesla, high-frequency, high-resolution, hyper-spectral imagery data sets from production and research farms will give OnePointOne a sustainable competitive advantage. Beyond real-time image analysis — like leaf-edge detection, discoloration detection and discontinuity detection, etc — large imagery data sets will drive system optimization unlike anything else. With enough imagery data, software models of plants can be created, then used in production settings to ensure optimal plant performance.

Above all else, OnePointOne is focused on plant-quality. Employing AI to our imagery data allows us to constantly improve the quality of our plants, while minimizing the required input resources.

Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about this year’s launch of your consumer brand Willo. What was the rationale behind this subscription model and what type of response has it received?

For ten thousand years farming was local and provided a diverse range of nutrients for the community. Today, we have no idea where our food is coming from and we are losing the nourishment battle. Willo exists to reconnect us to the farm and ensure that we are nourished by the highest quality foods imaginable.

Willo’s mission is enabling personalized plant-based nutrition to optimize human and environmental health. We achieve this through Willo’s personalized farming service, which allows members to control their own farm plot and regain access to locally grown, high quality produce unlike ever before.

Within a matter of weeks of our launch, Willo sold out the first farm. We are now in the process of building a farm ten times larger to accommodate the building waitlist for our personalized farming service.

Visit the OnePointOne and Willo websites to learn more!

Sananbio Ark Climate-Controlled Mobile Farm

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on November 16, 2020. Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News.

tIndoor Ag-Con exhibitor SANANBIO, a leading vertical farming solution provider, announces the availability of its climate controlled mobile farm for growers globally – Sananbio Ark.

Indoor Ag-Con Exhibitor Sananbio Lalunches Sananbio Ark Mobile Farm — SANANBIO ARK HIGHLIGHTS

“3,300-4,400 lbs of cucumbers, 7,700 lbs of arugula, or 8,000 lbs of lettuce. These are the proven annual yields that we’re confident to announce,” said Zhan Zhuo, co-founder and CEO of SANANBIO. “We ‘produce’ turnkey farms and this one is mobile.”

The Sananbio Ark adapts to any climate thanks to its thermal insulation system. the system has a thermal conductivity below 0.024w/(m·K). One of the mobile farms operated as usual in a coldness of -40 degree Fahrenheit in northern China. This sustained local communities with local produce at a reduced carbon footprint. It is shocking to find that our food travels 1,500 miles on average before reaching our plate. In addition, the CO2 generated, and the nutrients lost during the transportation, can’t be good for the planet or human beings. That’s why local food is advocated.

“The ready-to-use farm is the solution we offer to regions where the environment is too harsh to support stable agricultural production,” said Zhan.

To streamline the farming experience, the designer simplifies the start-up procedures to a single plug-in motion. Simply power it up through a connector on the exterior and then even hydroponic beginners are set to grow. Moreover, growers can monitor and control farm metrics simply by moving fingertips on their phone.

“By simplifying modern agriculture, we offer more farming opportunities for kids and urban dwellers. We have a mobile farm deployed in a Malaysian suburb where kids from the neighborhood frequent the farm for hands-on hydroponic experience. It’s a perfect bonding time when families go there to pick their own salad ingredients. As a Photobiotech company, we’re nurturing a new generation of growers,” said Zhan.

For more info about the mobile farm, please visit www.sananbio.com/ark.

About SANANBIO

SANANBIO is a joint-venture by Sanan Optoelectronics, one of the world’s largest LED manufacturers, and the Institute of Botany of Chinese Academy of Sciences, a leading institute in plant science. Comprised of LED experts and plant scientists, SANANBIO is able to provide simple CEA solutions for growers globally. The RADIX, a Reddot award winner, has been widely endorsed by growers in more than twenty countries.

Women In Agriculture Offer Advice and Inspiration

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on November 15, 2020. Posted in Blog.

Greenhouse Grower magazine and Indoor Ag-Conversations hosted a “Women in Agriculture” panel discussion in September. During the presentation, panelists focused on how women in agriculture can facilitate change. The program also highlighted how women can serve as examples for other women in the industry. Also discussesd, the challenges women face in the different sectors of the agriculture industry, and how to empower other women and inspire the next generation of women in agriculture.

The panel was moderated by Greenhouse Grower Editor Janeen Wright and Senior Editor Brian D. Sparks highlighted some of the tips our panelists shared in his October 27, 2020 article:

Surround Yourself with People Who Encourage You

Erika Summers, Sales Engineer at LMS Building Systems says when she first entered the engineering field, she quickly learned she had to prove herself.

“Fortunately, even though I was held to a higher standard by some, there were a lot of men who supported me and recognized the technical knowledge and skills I had,” Summers says. “Don’t feel like you have to remain in a non-supportive situation. Find a place where your expertise is valued.”

If you have experience in the market, it’s also important to be just as encouraging to the next generation.
“Take the time to talk to young women in your field and learn about their interests and what they want to do,” says Corinne Wilder, Vice President, Global Commercial Operations at Fluence By OSRAM. “Promote and nurture them and encourage them to offer their voice when change is needed.”

Promote Horticulture’s Multiple Career Options

You don’t need to have a green thumb to find your niche in the agriculture industry, and it’s important to emphasize this.

“With the growth in controlled-environment agriculture and scaled production of local produce, there are lots of angles to come into in this field,” says Amy Samples, Director of Community Outreach and People’s Programs at AppHarvest. “There’s a spot for you at this table if you’re willing to work hard.”

Use Social Media to Facilitate Connections

Career growth and networking resources such as LinkedIn can be helpful in both changing perceptions and encouraging career development.

“My favorite way to support women in agriculture is to connect them with each other, from one field to another,” says Charlotte Prud’Homme, Founder of Generation Permaculture Design.

Learn from the Past Experiences of Others

Each of the panelists recognized those women and men who inspired and motivated them. The key traits they share: patience, encouragement, and not being afraid to call for change when necessary.

“These women made their mark on the industry, and they encouraged me to do the same,” Summers says.

Netled Participates In Finland Food Wastage Project

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on November 15, 2020. Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News.

This fall, Indoor Ag-Con exhibitor Netled participated in a project organized by the city of Tampere in Finland. The project aims to develop and pilot different forms of urban and local food production as well as solutions to minimize food wastage, especially how the wastage can be reduced already when the food is produced.

The new residential area of Tampere, Hiedanranta, acted as the stage of the pilot and with the feedback gathered from the project, the area is developed towards a sustainable and smart city of the future.

Vertical farming is one of the urban food production solutions taking part in the pilot. Urban food brings food near the consumers and their living areas, and vertical farming is one of the key factors enhancing local food production as well as the circular economy at large.

During October, Netled’s Vera® vertical farm was situated and working in the innovation facility in Hiedanranta. Citizens of Tampere were invited to order two free herbs, thyme and parsley, via an online form. The herbs are planted based on actual orders, and ready for the consumers to collect at a specific week. With this pilot, solutions especially for food wastage are re-thought and piloted, as the products are grown according to real and timely demand.

Percival Scientific Plans Expansion

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on November 15, 2020. Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News.

Indoor Ag-Con exhibitor Percival Scientific, an innovative global manufacturing company that relocated its headquarters to Perry, Iowa, in 2000, is planning a $3.2 million expansion that will begin in 2021. State and local development leaders commended Percival for its bold economic investment, which will add sustainable job opportunities, help attract new business to the area and continue supporting Perry as a thriving community.

Percival temporarily suspended the expansion due to the economic recession caused by COVID-19 but is now moving forward thanks to the award of two $1 million loans through the USDA and loan partners Minburn Communications and Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO). The loans are part of $16.8 million that the USDA is investing in 25 projects to create jobs and increase economic opportunities across rural Iowa through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.

Working Closely

Percival worked closely with Minburn Communications, CIPCO, the Iowa Area Development Group, the City of Perry and Perry Economic Development to apply for the loans, design the building plans and secure additional financial assistance. Perry Economic Development provided a $75,000 grant to help offset land purchase, and the City of Perry is providing tax increment financing.

“This type of expansion and economic development doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” says Tom Burkgren, President of Perry Economic Development. “It’s a tremendous amount of heavy lifting by lots of folks, lots of entities and the company itself.”
Percival Scientific President, Gary Wheelock says the expansion will increase the company’s production space by over 60 percent and add 12 or more employees to the 80 in its current workforce.

“We were extremely excited to learn about the [REDLG] program and that the USDA recognized the value of making this type of financial assistance available to organizations served by rural utilities,” says Wheelock. “Their wisdom in seeing a need to provide a valuable financial resource to companies looking to build or expand is something that every business should appreciate and take full advantage of.”

Perry Mayor, John Andorf celebrates the announcement that Percival can soon begin the building project and credits the collaboration between multiple organizations for making it possible.

“I’m really excited about this expansion and what it means for Perry,” he says. “This is going to result in some good jobs shortly down the road.”

Wheelock thanks The USDA and all the organizations that were instrumental in helping bring the expansion project to fruition.

“We couldn’t be happier with our decision to relocate to Perry in 2000. A lot of the reasons why we moved here are still valid today. [This expansion] speaks to the ongoing commitment by Percival Scientific and our owners to the Perry community, Dallas County and the state of Iowa.”

About Percival Scientific

Percival Scientific was established in 1886 in Des Moines, Iowa, as Percival Manufacturing and grew successful in the sale of refrigerated food display cases. In the early ‘50s, at the request of Iowa State University, the company created the first commercially available plant growth chamber, eventually changing its name to Percival Scientific. Today, Percival designs and manufactures over 100 models of controlled environment chambers for research in the plant and animal sciences. The company’s products are the preferred choice of universities, government research institutions and biotechnology companies in all 50 states and more than 79 countries around the world.

To learn more about Percival Scientific and its large catalog of products, visit percival-scientific.com