1. Are they dedicated to a greener future?
Dedication is vital to any partnership, but a provider of vertical indoor farming solutions has to be dedicated to more than just generating revenue.
As an industry leader in ecologically sustainable business practices and green ethics, Montel is always evolving. Our goal is not only to reduce our impact on our planet but to do better today than we did yesterday, and to develop products that empower our customers to do the same.
From renewable power on our manufacturing floor to our decades-long reputation of creating LEED- and ISO-14001-compliant racking solutions, Montel is dedicated to a future where our clients’ businesses and the environment thrive.
2. Are they being honest about where their products are truly manufactured?
All Montel products are manufactured and assembled in North America. Some of our competitors would like you to believe the same about their products, but they’re not telling you the whole truth.
Before committing to a mobile vertical racking provider, ask them whether their mobile products or components are truly and proudly manufactured, let's say for example, in the USA or whether they’re merely assembled here. Some companies should be more honest about what they really are: Made in China. Assembled in the USA. There’s a big difference between the two.
Another question to ask: Did they actually manufacture the racking, or are they reselling it from another manufacturer? Be wary of companies that claim their solutions are “factory direct” with “no mark-ups.”
It’s easy to boast about your lightning-fast lead times when the world is amid an unprecedented pandemic and you’re sitting on a stockpile of components imported from overseas. Moreover, any racking reseller is dependent on the lead times of their racking suppliers, and in this economy that’s not always something the resellers have control over.
Montel believes in supporting the North American workforce and partnering with local distributors and certified installers for better service, and if you believe in those things too, we’re sure you will want to wait for the real deal. That said, we always strive for the soonest, most convenient times for scheduling installations.
3. Are they actually innovating?
Innovation comes naturally to us at Montel—after all, we did invent mobile storage and racking more than a century ago. We also pioneered mobile vertical farming racking, and some of our unique technologies are patent pending.
But we don’t rest on our laurels. Montel started with shelf makers, but it takes more than that to provide value to our customers across so many markets. Over the years our business has attracted the smartest, most talented minds in agriculture and engineering to better help us reimagine and expand upon the world’s best mobile vertical farm racking.
4. Do their racking accessories integrate well with their racks? (You shouldn’t have to ask, but you’d be surprised.)
All Montel racking accessories are designed with your space and workflow in mind. From the mobile carriages and vertical grow racks themselves to the built-in rack ventilation dual ducting system, some of the grow carts to our new grow trays and their supports, which could also serve as lighting attachments—it’s all Montel. And because it’s all Montel, it all works together to maximize your crop by optimizing your space.
Choose the right mobile vertical racking provider.
Now that you know how Montel would answer these four important questions, are you interested in a free, no-obligation consultation. With a little information from you and your team, our in-house engineers will create 2D and 3D mock-ups of a vertical grow rack system that perfectly fits your space and how you want to grow.
