The State of the Greenhouse Structures Industry in 2019

Stuppy-Rainbow-Super-Stuppy greenhouse structuresChange is constant in the horticulture industry, and one reason growers both large and small continue to make improvements to their production facilities, whether by repairing and retrofitting current structures or building new ones.

Over the past three years, data from Greenhouse Grower’s State of the Industry and Top 100 Growers surveys indicates that growers are investing heavily in structures and coverings. So what are they building?

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In this year’s Top 100 Growers survey, a number of growers highlighted some of the projects they are working on.
• “A frame for plugs and finished annuals”
• “A distribution center with additional loading docks”
• “Diffused-glass structures for propagation, or covering some outdoor space for better quality control, something inexpensive and retractable”
• “Perennial hoop houses”
• “We are adding more space as well as upgrading some of the older space”
• “6 acres of new greenhouses”
• “A 1-acre Atlas greenhouse as a prototype for expanding our Sun City facility”
• “We are building new greenhouses, and retrofitting old greenhouses”
• “We are rebuilding benches and retrofitting houses with heaters to increase our heated space”
• “Propagation facilities and ground-to-ground houses”
• “New gerbera greenhouses”
• “We are repairing structures and tables”
• “We are in the planning process to build a state-of-the-art greenhouse on existing property”
• “Retractable-roof greenhouses”
• “13 acres of MX-style greenhouses, going with plastic this time.”

Above all, improving efficiencies is the biggest reason growers are committing to facility upgrades. As one grower noted in the survey, “Without retrofitting some of our old structures, we cannot apply any labor efficiencies in those areas. Boom watering is not possible, and the layout of the old structures is a labor hog.”

Growers Are Investing in Structures

Over the past three years, Greenhouse Grower’s State of the Industry and Top 100 Growers surveys each included the question, “Which of the following areas do you plan to invest in most this year?” Based on the year-to-year responses, structures and coverings remain an area of commitment.

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State of the Industry Survey ResponsesTop 100 Survey Responses
2019Structures and Coverings47%2019Production Automation67%
Computer Services and Technology23%Structures and Coverings56%
Soil and Amendments22%Irrigation Equipment40%
Crop Management19%Computer Services and Technology33%
Irrigation Equipment19%Lighting30%
2018Structures and Coverings45%2018Production Automation59%
Computer Services and Technology25%Computer Services and Technology47%
Fertilizers23%Structures and Coverings42%
Irrigation Equipment23%Irrigation Equipment40%
Soil and Amendments22%Growing Media Equipment34%
2017Structures and Coverings50%2017Production Automation61%
Fertilizers31%Computer Services and Technology45%
Soil and Amendments31%Structures and Coverings42%
Irrigation Equipment30%Irrigation Equipment32%
Seed26%Shipping Equipment32%

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