With the completion of its Phase 3 greenhouse in fall of 2019, Chicago-area tomato grower MightyVine is harvesting 22.5 acres of premium-quality tomatoes. The expansion, built by VB Group and financed by Rabo AgriFinance, has been driven by strong demand since the company’s first harvest in October 2015.
“We’ve built a brand that consumers are asking for in restaurants and grocery stores all over the Midwest, and expansion is the only way to meet that demand” says Gary Lazarski, CEO of MightyVine. The additional acreage will help fill purchase orders from several retail partners, including Costco, Whole Foods, Jewel, Mariano’s, and Walmart.
“Locally-grown, sustainable, high-quality produce is a hot commodity,” says MightyVine Director of Sales Danny Murphy. “Retail buyers are responding enthusiastically to the increased movement they see in sales.”
Meanwhile, the expansion continues, as MightyVine has installed the foundation for Phase 4 of its greenhouse complex and plans still further expansion in the coming year.