How to Lead the Greenhouse Business of Tomorrow … Today
November 12, 2021 
Jonathan Webb
Jonathan Webb, the founder and CEO of Kentucky-based AppHarvest, will offer the keynote presentation at the GROW Executive Summit next month. Webb will kick off the Summit with his unique perspective on the challenges of leading a company for both the present and the future. A Kentucky native, Webb is turning his dream of a high-tech farming hub in Appalachia into reality with AppHarvest, combining conventional agricultural techniques with advanced technological tools to grow produce in some of the largest controlled-environment agriculture facilities in the world.
We asked Webb what GROW Executive Summit attendees might learn about leadership, vision, and perseverance during his presentation. Here’s what he had to say.
Q: Much of your growth has taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic. How did you navigate through these challenges, and what did you learn?
The pandemic made it a challenge to ensure that the supplies we needed would be available. Because of that, we had to accelerate our growth through investor fundraising. Like everyone else, we also had to navigate the difficulties of hiring and training people in the middle of a pandemic. On the flip side, the pandemic highlighted the cracks in our food supply and security chain, and helped us see the role we could fill.
Q: Have there been supply chain issues that have affected your growth?
We know the industry as a whole is growing quickly, and the question is, where are your building materials going to come from? The challenges of the supply chain that COVID-19 highlighted are also an opportunity for businesses to onshore production and start building more here in the U.S. A prime example is our new facilities in Richmond, KY, and Berea, KY, where the lights are manufactured by General Electric in North Carolina, and the company is looking to source steel and glass from domestic suppliers.
Q: What are the keys for a vision into a reality?
It starts with a good business case or business plan. But to bring it to life, you need like-minded people, whether it’s your employees, your investors, or your community. Taking it to the next level, your plan should be to create for vision for the industry as a whole, not just your company. To do that, we have to collectively work as colleagues, not as competitors. When you compare our industry in the U.S. with what’s happening in Holland, we do not have the same amount of production at scale. To get there, we need to be an industry that coalesces and works together and creates that collective vision to move forward.
Q: What can growers of one crop, ornamentals for example, learn from other producers?
In the future, I believe most crops are going to be grown in a controlled environment out of necessity. We have to figure out how to grow more crops indoors using less resources. That’s too big for one company or even one sector of the industry to take on, and most investors also want to see the entire industry scale properly, not just one or two companies. The only way we’ll get there is through collaboration.
Q: How does the AppHarvest leadership team work together to keep everyone responsible for success, and how are short- and long-term goals communicated through the company?
If you visited NASA during the 1960s and asked anyone from the scientists to the janitors what their job was, they would say it was putting a man on the moon. It’s the same approach here; everyone’s job is equally important, and our job is to get everyone moving in the same direction. To make that happen, every person here needs to know not only what they are doing, but why they are doing it. Building that culture is not easy, but if you can do it, it makes everyone feel like they’re part of a bigger movement. If all our companies in the industry can do this, we will see a better workforce and improved productivity, and we can become better advocates for the industry.
Q: What are the differences between planning for the next one to two years and planning for five-plus years out?
This industry has a chance for real growth over the next five years, and you have to know where the tipping point might be. When he was President in the late 1970s, Jimmy Carter would often talk about the potential of solar and wind power. These energy resources didn’t take off until 20 years later as the technology developed, prices went down, and reliability went up. We’re seeing the same thing now with Tesla being the tipping point for electric vehicles. Controlled-environment agriculture is poised to take that next step, and as company leaders, it’s our job to figure out how we are going to accelerate this industry together.
Register Now for the GROW Executive Summit
The GROW Executive Summit is a limited-capacity, intimate gathering in order to facilitate active dialogue, open discussion, and high-value networking. Seats are going fast, so register today at GrowExecutiveSummit.com to ensure your participation. Register before November 12 to lock in the Advanced Rate. You’ll save $255 compared to on-site registration. You can also visit the site to learn more about the complete list of speakers and agenda.
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