Founders Brewing Executive Named CEO of West Michigan Hydroponics Farm
September 17, 2019
John Green has been named CEO of Revolution Farms. (Courtesy photo)
By Brian McVicar | bmcvicar@mlive.com
CALEDONIA, MI — John Green, who for more than a decade served as executive chairman of Founders Brewing Co., has been named CEO of Revolution Farms, an indoor hydroponic farm based in Caledonia that grows lettuce and salad greens.
Green is a founding investor in the farm and has served as acting CEO for the past three months, according to a news release. He is also chairman of its board of directors.
“We launched Revolution Farms to change the world by changing the way we grow food," he said in a statement. “Our revolution begins at home, by growing closer to where we live, more sustainably, with less water and land, and figuring out how to accomplish this in Michigan all year long.”
Revolution Farms has the capacity to produce more than 500,000 pounds of lettuce and salad greens on a yearly basis at its 85,000-square-foot indoor farm on 76th Street in Caledonia, the company says. Its products are sold at Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market and VG’s Grocery stores across Michigan.
West Michigan company's innovative salad greens now on store shelves
Revolution Farms is selling its product in 16 SpartanNash stores in Michigan.
The farm grows its products using 95 percent fewer acres and 90 percent less water than traditional farming methods, Green said. Its salad greens can be shipped to stores in one or two days, “less than half the time it takes for lettuce grown and shipped from California, Arizona, and Mexico to make it to Michigan store shelves.”
Green has worked at Founders since 2006. He will remain at the brewery while its majority ownership transitions to Spanish brewing conglomerate Mahou San Miguel. Founders announced late last month it was selling a 59 percent ownership stake in the company to Mahou.
The deal is expected to close next year and was valued at $198.8 million, according to documents filed with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. Once completed, the deal will boost Mahou’s ownership of Founders to 90 percent. Mahou purchased a 30 percent ownership stake in Founders in 2014.
Green is among a group of Founders shareholders selling their stake in the company to Mahou. Records submitted by Founders to the liquor control commission show Green owned an 8.03 percent stake in the company. In addition, members of his family-owned an 8.36 percent stake in Founders.
In addition to his position at Revolution Farms, Green will maintain roles with Odyssey Media Group and Cirkul.
He also serves as director of the Grand Valley State University Foundation and is a founding board member of Grand Rapids Whitewater. Green also sits on the board of directors for the Grand Rapids Downtown Market.
In addition to Family Fare and other SpartanNash grocery stores, Revolution Farms sells its products through Doorganics, an organic grocery delivery service based in Grand Rapids, and Van Eerden Food Service.