ISO Group Set to Establish First U.S. Operation in Virginia
March 3, 2023 
Photo: ISO Group
This past October, Greenhouse Grower reported on the ISO Group’s planned opening of a facility in Richmond, VA, to handle sales and services for its line of cutting machines and other technology. Much progress has been made since then, and on Feb. 23, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that ISO Group, the Netherlands-based supplier of automation solutions in protected horticulture, will invest $570,000 to establish its first U.S. assembly and distribution facility in Chesterfield County.
According to an announcement from the Governor’s office, Virginia successfully competed with Georgia for the project, which will create 30 new jobs over five years.
“Virginia has emerged as a top state in controlled environment agriculture, and ISO Group is a complementary addition that will enhance our growing industry ecosystem,” says Gov. Youngkin. “The company’s decision to establish its first U.S. operation in Chesterfield County is exemplary of the trust manufacturers have placed in the Commonwealth for centuries, and we are committed to fostering a business climate and workforce to drive ISO Group’s long-term success.”
“We are proud to welcome ISO Group to Virginia’s corporate roster and serve as a launch point to reach its expanding U.S. customer base,” says Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “The Commonwealth offers the right location, infrastructure, and skilled workforce to attract global leaders like ISO Group, and we thank the company for choosing Virginia and creating 30 new jobs in Chesterfield County.”
“Virginia’s central location on the Eastern Seaboard puts ISO USA within driving distance to 80% of our current customers in the U.S. and Canada, and only two days shipping to all of North America,” says John Menendez, General Manager and Vice President of the Americas for ISO Group USA. “With customer service at the heart of this expansion, Chesterfield is the perfect launch point for our new American headquarters.”
“On behalf of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, I’m proud to welcome ISO Group to the growing roster of international companies choosing to invest in Chesterfield,” says Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Chairman Kevin Carroll. “The assembly and distribution facility for their innovative and effective machines used in the horticultural industry is the perfect fit to be located in one of Chesterfield’s designated Technology Zones.”
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in the Netherlands, ISO Group is a supplier of industrial machinery for labor-intensive protected horticulture tasks in a growing number of countries. ISO Group experts have developed effective machines fitted with robotics which take up less space, are scalable, and have lower maintenance costs. The machines ensure high efficiency and more uniform quality of the product while using the customer’s production process for the development of automation solutions.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Chesterfield County and the Greater Richmond Partnership to secure the project for Virginia and will support ISO Group’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.
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