Hydroponic Starter Plant Supplier Acquired by Investment Company
April 27, 2022 
Cucumbers at Ontario Plants
COFRA Holding has acquired Ontario Plants Propagation Limited, a leading supplier of high-quality starter plants for hydroponic and organic greenhouse growers in North America.
Founded in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada in 2002, Ontario Plants is a preferred supplier of starter tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers for leading growers throughout Canada and the U.S. The company has developed a sophisticated propagation process with exemplary hygiene standards and biocontrols, in addition to trusted relationships with its customers.
The acquisition is COFRA’s third investment in the sustainable food system in the past five months, following the acquisition of Dalsem, a high-tech greenhouse developer based in the Netherlands, and an investment in Intelligent Growth Solutions, a UK-based vertical farming technology provider. All three investments reflect COFRA’s focus on controlled-environment agriculture.
Ontario Plants’ experienced management team will continue to lead the business, under COFRA’s ownership, from St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.
“Our acquisition of Ontario Plants further underlines COFRA’s commitment to investing in businesses that are tackling some of the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges,” says Boudewijn Beerkens, CEO of COFRA Holding. “The world needs to transition to a more sustainable food system. Controlled-environment agriculture will be essential to meeting the world’s food needs over the coming decades and, as one of the leading suppliers in North America, Ontario Plants is an ideal addition to COFRA’s offering in the sustainable food space. Ontario Plants and Dalsem will together create a trusted ecosystem for growers to produce more sustainable and nutritious food. I am pleased to welcome the talented team at Ontario Plants to COFRA and I look forward to working together to serve the leading growers in North America and beyond.”
“As we mark our 20th year in business, we are very pleased to become part of the COFRA family,” says Steve Vanderkooy, Chairman & Co-Founder of Ontario Plants. “We have focused since 2002 on being a trusted and reliable partner to our grower clients and, as the founding Vanderkooy family members, we are confident this will continue under COFRA’s ownership. COFRA will be an exceptional steward of the organization as we continue to grow and meet emerging needs within the controlled-environment agriculture sector.”
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