Kalera, one of the world’s leading hydroponic indoor vertical farming companies, has opened a new farm in Denver. The nearly 90,000-square-foot facility is the company’s fifth domestic farm, joining a U.S. footprint that includes farms in Atlanta and Houston, as well as two in Orlando. Globally, Kalera operates farms in Munich and Kuwait with a farm set to open in Singapore later this year. The first harvest is scheduled for May.
“Increasing our national and global footprint has been a priority for our team as we seek to serve our major retail and food service customers,” says Curtis McWilliams, Kalera’s interim Chief Executive Officer. “Opening this facility is an exciting step towards this goal, and we’re proud to serve urban communities like Denver with clean, nutrition-dense leafy greens that are accessible to local consumers.”
Kalera Records Industry-Leading Operational Results
Currently, Orlando, Houston, and Atlanta, all Kalera’s large-scale farms in the U.S., are operating above the company’s 80% throughput yield target. Additionally, Atlanta and Houston (Kalera’s newest facilities prior to Denver) have achieved this performance significantly ahead of schedule.
Beyond achieving high yields, all Kalera farms are also making improvements in production capacity and corresponding revenues as demand for Kalera products continues to increase.
“Innovation is our focus, it’s what Kalera was founded on,” McWilliams says. “We are thrilled with these results, but not surprised, and are eager to bring this same efficient performance to our Denver farm.”
The Denver opening follows the news of Kalera’s recent merger with special purpose acquisition company Agrico Acquisition Corp. The partnership will result in Kalera becoming the first vertical farming company to go public on the NASDAQ market, which the company plans later this year.
“Our partnership with Agrico will enable Kalera to fund the development of more farms worldwide,” McWilliams says. “We anticipate continued rapid growth in 2022 and are looking forward to providing food security to more urban communities.”