Intergrow Greenhouses Opens Latest Production Facility in New York

Posted by Brian Sparks|August 11, 2021

Intergrow Greenhouses has announced the opening of its newest expansion in upstate New York. The 10-acre project will produce more than 3 million pounds of fresh produce a year, feeding millions across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic all of the way down to the Southeast.

“We’ve been operating in the U.S. since 1998, and always in New York State,” says Dirk Biemans, President of Intergrow Greenhouses. “Our European partners saw the opportunity for greenhouse-grown produce here in the U.S. back in the 90s and we quickly set up shop. The climate here in New York is ideally suited for our greenhouse production, resulting in the best flavor, quality, and consistency for our retail partners all year. We are primed for successful growth here in New York. With nearly 60% of the US population only 24 hours from us, and growing consumer demand for local and domestically grown produce, we’ve got to be ready.”

Biemans says more than 70% of the 350 employees at Intergrow are residents of New York State and that number is growing. “Labor is an extremely important part of our business model, if we can recruit, train, and retain local labor it can yield huge advantages for us.”

The new facility will be outfitted with HPS grow lights, adding to Intergrow’s ever-increasing winter offerings. It also boasts diffused glass for better light distribution and heating and fertigation systems. However, Biemans reports there were several challenges and delays that threatened the project finishing on time.

“Ocean freight is crazy right now, and not only have prices increased, but there’s been a huge problem with on-time arrivals and customs issues,” Biemans says. “The majority of this project came in prefabricated from Europe, which offers a lot of benefits, but our team and chosen suppliers were not quite ready for the logistical challenges in 2021. However, we were able to pull through, overcoming those challenges, and working with the cards we were dealt.”