Kalamazoo, Michigan
Harbor Farmz
All Montel racking for vertical farming saves space so growers can care for more plants with less square footage.
CHALLENGE
In 2016, when CEO Michael Ward first questioned whether to get into the business of medicinal cannabis, he visited grow ops across North America to learn more about how the industry operates. He was struck by what he found.
“Going from grow to grow, I saw many of the mistakes people make by shortcutting things and not creating the right environment to maximize your space,” said Ward. “I come from a manufacturing background, and the utilization of space is paramount.”
Ward has always believed in the palliative power of cannabis, but he knew he’d have to do things differently.
And like any competitive grow op in North America, his layout wasn’t his only concern—so were reducing labor costs, reducing downtime, hitting production schedules, and turning out high-quality products consistently, not to mention Harbor Farmz’s dedication to cannabis plant tissue culture, which requires quality control and a dedicated, sterile work environment for their in-house microbiologists.
So, Ward and the rest of the Harbor Farmz family brought in the vertical racking experts at Montel to design a full production vertical racking system and build out the grow op of their dreams.
SOLUTION
All Montel racking for vertical farming saves space so growers can care for more plants with less square footage.
Originally, Ward estimated that he would need a facility with around 90,000 square feet, but with the right vertical racking he was able to cut his spatial requirements by nearly two-thirds.
But it’s what Harbor Farmz does with their extra space that really shows the power of imagination and better vertical racking.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
GREENRAK high-density mobile systems for grow and veg rooms
Currently, Harbor Farmz has three-tier GREENRAKs in their 11 grow rooms, four-tier GREENRAK in their four vegetation rooms, two 2-tiers in the mother room, and moveable carts in its clone room.
Head grower Chris Teeters loves having Montel GREENRAK in each of his eighteen grow rooms. GREENRAK were designed with growers in mind, so it’s no wonder that Teeters can do much more with them than he could with traditional racking.
With no side members on any carriage and a collapsible, two-aisle design, GREENRAK conserves space while providing greater access to the canopy. There’s even extra foot clearance so Teeters and his fellow growers can water, deleaf, cultivate, and monitor their plants—even the hard-to-reach ones—comfortably and with plenty of room to work.
“Montel vertical racks even allow us to move the plants in a way that we can adjust airflow without having to move other equipment, just by moving the racks themselves.”
Even cleaning is a breeze thanks to the slatted racks, which prevent dirt from accumulating. GREENRAK has many rustproof items and rust-resistant components which are designed to prevent mold or bacteria proliferation.
BENEFITS
“To me,” said Ward, “Montel is the best way to utilize your space. There is no better vertical farming system on the market today.”
We’re thankful for Michael’s kind words, and for how welcoming the folks at Harbor Farmz were to Montel during the installation process. It’s our mission to create innovative and intelligent vertical farming and storage solutions that overcome obstacles and empower people to do great things.
In a few weeks’ time, all Harbor Farmz products will come from cannabis grown from in-house tissue cultures, a first in the industry and a major milestone in what will most certainly be a historic legacy.
Congratulations, Harbor Farmz! We’re excited to see what you have in store.
How did one of Montel's vertical farming solutions help this grow facility's Plant Tissue Culture Lab??
All Montel racking for vertical farming saves space so growers can care for more plants with less square footage. SmartShelf easily adjustable static shelving in the tissue room. Debra Sweeney, resident microbiologist and director of plant tissue culture at Harbor Farmz, is proud that her company is an industry leader in tissue-culture cloning. And we’re proud that Montel’s SmartShelf complements her team’s vigor and precision in the Harbor Farmz clone room. Sweeney and her team have enough on their minds without having to think about whether their shelving is up to task. They oversee 1,200 tissue cultures and maintain each one on a two-week cycle. Fortunately, Montel SmartShelves are powder coated and adjustable in one-inch increments without special tools or a call to a service professional. “We would never be able to do what we have to without vertical shelving,” said Debra. But 1,200 vessels is just the start. Harbor Farmz plans to expand its tissue culture operations in the near future, and when that time comes, the SmartShelf system is easily expanded to continue their success with the shelving that supports them as well as their tissue cultures.
How did Montel's mobile vertical grow rack system help Harbor Farmz maximize their facility??
Episode 2 of 3: Head Grower Chris Teeters explains that when looking for technology providers he looks for durability, and products built to last. He found this with Montel's mobile racks. Growing isn't easy, but with the right equipment providers, it makes for ease of particular tasks like watering, foiliating, harvesting. In a 36,000 sq ft facility, it is paramount for equipment and technology to work every time. Harbor Farmz relies on this technology in order for their grow operation to run efficiently. Contact us today for more information on how to take your grow to new heights:⬆
