Gotham Greens Explained

Gotham Greens
Type:Private
Foundation:2009
Location City:New York City
Founders:Viraj Puri, Eric Haley
Key People:Viraj Puri (CEO), Eric Haley (CFO), Jenn Frymark (Chief Greenhouse Officer)
Products:Agribusiness
Location Country:United States

Gotham Greens is an American fresh food and indoor farming company founded and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York,[1] that grows local produce year-round in greenhouses, with its lettuces, herbs, salad kits, salad dressings, dips and cooking sauces sold under its brand name.

The company owns and operates 13 hydroponic greenhouse facilities in the United States, totaling more than 1.8 million square feet.[2] The CEO of the company is Viraj Puri.[3]

History

Gotham Greens was founded by Viraj Puri and Eric Haley in 2009, aiming to bring fresh, local and pesticide-free produce, grown using sustainable methods, to cities across the United States.[4] [5] Puri has a sustainable development and environmental engineering background, and Haley has a banking and finance background and focuses on the business side of the venture.[6] The company is headed by Puri, Haley and Jenn Frymark, who joined in 2009 to lead greenhouse operations.[6]

After three years of planning, in May 2011 Gotham Greens opened its first location, a 15,000 square-foot greenhouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, that was reported to be the first commercial urban rooftop greenhouse in the United States.[7] [8] However, commercial greenhouses on rooftops have existed in New York City since at least since 1969, when Terrestris rooftop nursery opened on 60th Street in Manhattan.[9]

By controlling the environment, Gotham Greens can grow up to 30 times more leafy greens per acre than conventional open-field agriculture. Its greenhouses use up to 90% less water and 97% less land in comparison to conventional open-field farming methods.[10] [11] [12] [13]

The company opened its second location in 2013, a 20,000 square-foot greenhouse, atop a Whole Foods Market in Gowanus, Brooklyn;[14] [15] its third in 2015, a 75,000 square foot greenhouse in Chicago, Illinois, the largest rooftop greenhouse in the world;[16] [17] and its fourth location, a 60,000 square-foot greenhouse on the rooftop of the former Ideal Toy Company factory in Jamaica, Queens, in late 2015.[18] [19] At the end of 2019, Gotham Greens opened 100,000 square-foot greenhouse facilities in Chicago,[16] Edgemere, Maryland,[20] and Providence, Rhode Island.[21] In 2020, the company opened a 30,000 square-foot greenhouse in Aurora, Colorado.[22] [23] In 2021, the company announced it expanded to the West Coast with the opening of a 100,000 square-foot greenhouse in Davis, California, and that it became a Certified B Corporation.[24] In 2022, Gotham Greens announced the purchase of FresH2O Growers, based in Stevensburg, Virginia, with a 540,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse facility.[25] In 2023, Gotham Greens added an additional 600,000 square feet with expansions at existing facilities in Chicago[26] and Providence, Rhode Island, and three new greenhouse facilities in Windsor, Colorado; Monroe, Georgia; and Seagoville, Texas.[27] [28]

In 2021, the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (UCD CAES) entered into a partnership with Gotham Greens to advance research and innovation in the areas of indoor agriculture, advanced greenhouse technology and urban agriculture.[29]

The company was recognized by Whole Foods Market as part of its Top Food Trends for "Ultra Urban Farming" in 2022[30] and "Clean & Conserve: Water Stewardship" in 2024.[31]

Funding

In 2020, Gotham Greens raised $87 million series D funding round led by Manna Tree with participation from the Silverman Group,[32] bringing the company's total financing to $130 million.[33] [34] In 2022, the company raised an additional $310 million, led by BMO Impact Investment Fund and Ares Management, bringing its total financing to $440 million.[35]

Products

Gotham Greens produce and fresh food products, including pesto sauce and salad dressings, are sold in grocery stores under its brand name, and also sold to restaurants and food service companies.[23] In September 2022, Gotham Greens released a line of plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO dips.[36] In November 2023, Gotham Greens launched a line of salad kits.[37]

Greenhouse locations

See also

References

  1. News: Gotham Greens Opens up Another Massive Greenhouse . Greenhouse Growers . February 29, 2020.
  2. Web site: Hardy . Wayne . Gotham Greens' newest greenhouse opens in metro Dallas . ThePacker.com . 11 June 2024.
  3. Web site: Eppich. Johnny. 2021-06-22. Gotham Greens CEO Discusses New Developments and Trends in Leafy Greens Market. 2021-07-21. Greenhouse Grower. en-US.
  4. Web site: TEDxBrooklyn Takeaways: 5 Predictions You Need to Know. Donnelly. Tim. 2011-12-06. Inc.com. 2020-05-30.
  5. News: URBAN FARMING COMPANY GOTHAM GREENS CLOSES $29 MILLION ROUND OF FUNDING . 6 November 2020 . Agritecture.
  6. News: Drotleff . Laura . Meet The Three Young Go-Getters Who Created Gotham Greens . Greenhouse Grower . June 27, 2014.
  7. News: Zeveloff . Julie . Tour The Hi-Tech Farm That's Growing 100 Tons Of Greens On The Roof Of A Brooklyn Warehouse . Business Insider . July 14, 2011.
  8. News: Clendaniel . Morgan . Gotham Greens: Brooklyn's New High-Tech Rooftop Farm . Fast Company . June 28, 2011.
  9. News: Lyon . Lilla . The City Garden . 6 April 2022 . New York Magazine . 12 May 1969.
  10. Web site: Halkias . Maria . Indoor farmer Gotham Greens opens in Seagoville to supply local grocers . DallasNews.com . 11 June 2024.
  11. News: Gould . Danielle . Gotham Greens on Using Hydroponics to Preserve Biodiversity . Food Tech Connect . January 24, 2019.
  12. News: Reiley . Laura . Indoor farming looks like it could be the answer to feeding a hot and hungry planet. It's not that easy. . Washington Post . November 19, 2019.
  13. News: Goldschmidt . Bridget . Gotham Greens Opens Largest Greenhouse . Progressive Grocer . November 14, 2019.
  14. News: Whole Foods goes ultra-local with Gotham Greens greenhouse in Brooklyn . Green Biz . April 5, 2013.
  15. News: Schwartz . Ariel . This Super Local Brooklyn Whole Foods Will Have A 20,000-Square-Foot Rooftop Greenhouse . Fast Company . April 3, 2013.
  16. News: Elejalde-Ruiz . Alexia . 'We see a lot of room for growth': Gotham Greens is making money farming lettuce on the South Side. Now it's adding a 2nd greenhouse in Pullman. . Chicago Tribune . November 13, 2019.
  17. News: Peters . Adele . This Is The World's Largest Rooftop Greenhouse . Fast Company . January 4, 2016.
  18. News: Kern-Jedrychowska . Ewa . Massive Rooftop Greenhouse Opens on Jamaica Avenue . DNA Info . February 3, 2016 . November 2, 2020 . August 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200811201456/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160203/hollis/massive-rooftop-greenhouse-opens-on-jamaica-avenue/ . dead .
  19. News: Jewell . Nicole . Gotham Greens opens 60,000-sq-ft rooftop farm atop former toy company in Hollis, Queens . Inhabitat . February 26, 2016.
  20. News: Cohn . Meredith . Old Sparrows Point steel mill sprouts new businesses, including a new kind of indoor farm . Baltimore Sun . December 10, 2019.
  21. News: Ciampa . Gail . Gotham Greens opens its massive Providence greenhouse on Thursday. Here's a look inside. . Providence Journal . December 4, 2019.
  22. News: Rubino . Joe . A new building rising behind Stanley Marketplace in Aurora will be a commercial greenhouse . Denver Post . October 23, 2019.
  23. News: Kennedy . Caroline . Gotham Greens' Hydroponic Urban Greenhouse Brings Local, Sustainable Produce to Denver . 3030 Magazine . May 21, 2020.
  24. Web site: Marquis . Christopher . Gotham Greens Continues Mission Of Social And Environmental Sustainability With Simultaneous West Coast Expansion And B Corp Certification . Forbes.com . 6 June 2024.
  25. Web site: Hansen . Drew . Gotham Greens buys Virginia's FresH2O Growers — and its massive hydroponic greenhouse . BizJournals.com . 6 June 2024.
  26. Web site: Hutson . Wendell . Gotham Greens expanding manufacturing facility at Pullman Park . BizJournals.com . 6 June 2024.
  27. Web site: Sowder . Amy . Gotham Greens doubles greenhouse footprint with five-state expansion . ThePacker.com . 6 June 2024.
  28. Web site: Petrak . Lynn . Gotham Greens Bucks an Indoor Growing Trend . ProgressiveGrocer.com . 6 June 2024.
  29. Web site: Anonymous. 2021-03-03. Gotham Greens Accelerates Growth with West Coast Expansion. 2021-07-21. College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. en.
  30. Web site: The Next Big Things: Our Top 10 Food Trends for 2022 . WholeFoodsMarket.com . 11 June 2024.
  31. Web site: The Next Big Things: Our Top 10 Food Trends for 2024 . WholeFoodsMarket.com . 11 June 2024.
  32. Web site: 2020-12-09. Gotham Greens raises $87m Series D funding for expansion. 2021-07-21. AFN. en-US.
  33. Greens. Gotham. Gotham Greens Raises $87 Million To Grow Its Indoor Agriculture Footprint, Bringing More Fresh Foods To Shoppers Nationwide. 2021-07-21. www.prnewswire.com. en.
  34. Web site: New York-based indoor ag company Gotham Greens raises $87 million. 2021-07-21. TechCrunch. 8 December 2020 . en-US.
  35. Web site: Shanker . Deena . Greenhouse Grower Gotham Greens Raises $310 Million in Series E . Bloomberg.com . 6 June 2024.
  36. Web site: Kurland . Ann . Gotham Greens dips into dip business . BostonGlobe.com . 11 June 2024.
  37. Web site: Gotham Greens launches new salad kit line . ThePacker.com . 11 June 2024.
  38. Web site: Yu. Douglas. Gotham Greens Opens New Greenhouse In Colorado As Local Businesses Slowly Reopen After COVID-19 Pause. https://web.archive.org/web/20200527162227/https://www.forbes.com/sites/douglasyu/2020/05/20/gotham-greens-opens-new-greenhouse-in-colorado-as-local-businesses-slowly-reopen-after-covid-19-pause/. dead. May 27, 2020. 2021-07-21. Forbes. en.
  39. News: Heater . Brian. Gotham Greens opens a 10-acre farm/research facility in California . TechCrunch. January 16, 2022 .

External links

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