Costs, Lead Time Concerns Leading to More Standardization in Greenhouse Technology

Greenhouse manufacturers and component suppliers are navigating many of the same pressures as growers. From tighter margins and energy costs to shifting expectations around automation and integration, the forces shaping plant production are shipping the structures and systems behind it.

To better understand where the market is headed, Greenhouse Grower surveyed members of the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association (NGMA), whose products range from greenhouse structures and coverings to controls and lighting systems. Here’s Part 6, where we cover whether manufacturers are standardizing offerings or moving toward more customized solutions. You can find previous parts of the series, which covered geopolitical issues, capital investment trends, energy costs, grower pain points, and overall market challenges and opportunities, here.

Are you standardizing offerings more, or moving toward more customized solutions? Why?

• “We are moving toward more standardized offerings for smaller and lower-cost systems to improve lead times and reduce engineering time. However, large and complex projects still require custom solutions. Our strength as a company is our engineering team and our ability to design the right solution for each customer rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.” — Patricia Dean, Wadsworth Control Systems
• “We are standardizing towards lower cost, introductory products with the option of going fully custom later.” — Bob Bruns, Link4 Corp.
• “We are standardizing a base offering to controls costs while somewhat expanding customized solutions at a higher price point.” — Justin Jacobs, Argus Controls Ltd.
• “Customers keep asking for customized solutions despite our efforts to standardize.” — Adam Pound, AgraTech Inc.
• “More custom. Research of specific plants requires specific growth habitats. We enjoy the customization.” — Joshua Sucher, Crystal Structures
• “Both options are available through my company. We have standard off the self-products but also can customize to a degree if they ask for something not standard.” — John Juhler, Vostermans Ventilation Inc.
• “We standardize the hardware but customize the experience. By nature, we were always custom or tailored to the growers’ needs.” — Kassim Tremblay, Sollum Technologies
• “We’ve been a custom shop for 35 years. Now we are moving towards some standardizing to improve efficiency and profit.” — Earl Craker, Green-Tek, Inc.
• “We’re standardizing our core product lines to drive operational efficiency, scalability, and supply chain reliability. However, the market still demands customization, particularly in high-performance greenhouse applications where ROI is tied to precise environmental control and yield optimization. So we’re focused on being efficient at scale while remaining flexible where it matters most.” — Peter Luca Ardizzone, Macrolux USA
• “We have always provided custom solutions, but costs of goods and labor make you consider standardization.” — Tim Lauer, Albert J. Lauer Inc.
• “All of our offers are custom to best suit the build.” — Ian Morrell, Climate Control Systems