US: OHIO: 80 Acres To Create 125 New Jobs As It Opens New Hamilton Headquarters
July 29, 2019
Eric Schwartzberg, Staff Writer
Hamilton, Ohio
A $26.9 million investment from San Francisco private equity firm Virgo Investment Group will allow 80 Acres Farms to carry out planned phases for continued expansion of its operations in Hamilton and enable the company to create 125 new jobs in the city.
As a result of that investment and the commitment to create those new jobs, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority this morning approved a Job Creation Tax Credit for the project for 1.647 percent over eight years.
80 Acres Farms also has moved its corporate headquarters, as well as 15 employees, to newly renovated office space in downtown Hamilton, company officials said Monday. The company derives its name from its ability to grow 80 acres worth of food in a quarter of an acre space, all starting in its original location in Cincinnati.
MORE: A Hamilton facility will be the first of its kind in North America after new investment
80 Acres Farms is now producing tomatoes in downtown Hamilton. They purchased the former Miami Motor Car Co. building on S. 2nd Street in February 2017 and have renovated it to create an indoor farm facility. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
Its vision is to establish year-round indoor farming operations in major cities around the world growing more nutritious produce, according to Mike Zelkind, 80 Acres Farms’ co-founder and CEO.
80 Acres Farms’ closed-loop, modular systems grow crops more sustainably, and their proximity to consumer locations dramatically decreases the distance produce must travel, thereby increasing shelf life and more importantly taste.
“Hamilton is a rising community looking for diversified growth and is strategically located near multiple large population centers,” Zelkind said. “Sustainability continues to be an essential part of our business, and Hamilton’s commitment to emissions-free, renewable energy through hydropower was also an important component in our decision to become an even bigger part of the Hamilton community.”
MORE: Hamilton’s large indoor growing operation is so advanced they want it around the world
Hamilton City Manager Joshua Smith said 80 Acres Farms’ decision to call Hamilton home is catalytic for three reasons.
“First, they will soon be one of our largest utility customers,” Smith said. “Second, their presence in Hamilton is attracting interest from other innovative companies. And third, their multiple locations throughout the city will have a positive impact on local businesses.”
The company was founded in 2015 by Zelkind and Tisha Livingston, two veteran food industry executives. It is supported by a board of directors representing executive and leadership experience at leading food, healthcare and other companies.
80 Acres Farms provides customers with a variety of locally grown, just-picked leafy greens, microgreens and vine crops, including the world’s only tomatoes and cucumbers grown completely indoors using proprietary technologies. That includes modular grow zones, customized LED lighting, precisely tuned climate controls and an artificial intelligence-powered growing system.
The company said that allows to produce flavorful and nutritious locally grown fruits and vegetables at affordable prices.
80 Acres Farms is now producing tomatoes in downtown Hamilton. They purchased the former Miami Motor Car Co. building on S. 2nd Street in February 2017 and have renovated it to create an indoor farm facility. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
MORE: Dilapidated Hamilton building transforms into an industry-changing grow facility
80 Acres Farms launched renovations on the former Miami Motor Company building on South 2nd Street in early 2017, with plans to create 30,000 square feet of office and food production space downtown. The company is growing vine crops in that renovated location, where it started harvesting its first crops in April.
In September 2018, 80 Acres Farms broke ground on the first phase of its Hamilton Enterprise Park facility and in late March the first phase of the site started when the company started growing its first crop there.
It is set to become the country’s first fully automated indoor farm.
Most recently, the company moved its corporate headquarters, as well as 15 employees, to a newly renovated office space in downtown Hamilton. The company’s planned investment in Hamilton is expected to be more than $26.9 million.
MORE: Company with large Hamilton indoor growing operations joining international food effort
Future phases will add around 150,000 square feet of controlled environmental agriculture, or CEA, space. That space will allow 80 Acres to “dramatically increase” distribution with its growing list of retail and food service partners, which includes Whole Foods, Jungle Jim’s International Market, Dorothy Lane Market and Green Bean Delivery, Zelkind said.