One of the leading vertical agriculture companies in the world, New Jersey-based AeroFarms chose to establish one of the world’s largest aeroponic smart farms in Cane Creek Centre in large part due to the nearby presence of IALR.
“David Rosenberg, founder and CEO of New Jersey-based AeroFarms, cited IALR as a major reason why his company chose to build its largest indoor vertical farm to date in Cane Creek Centre, an industrial park jointly owned by the city of Danville and Pittsylvania County in Southern Virginia. The facility will help AeroFarms fulfill its production partnerships with major retailers like Amazon Fresh, Ahold Delhaize, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market, while the location continues to reinforce its commercial proven history to grow large crop volumes in small, urban footprints.” via the Virginia Economic Development Partnership
AeroFarms first announced the project, which included a significant capital investment and the creation of nearly 100 jobs, in December 2019. Shortly before the vertical farming facility opened in 2022, the company announced that it would hire an additional 66 employees and increase production as part of a major operational expansion.
Today, AeroFarms Danville is capable of growing more than 3 million pounds of fresh leafy greens annually. AeroFarms Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Roger Buelow was a keynote speaker at the inaugural CEA Summit East, launched at IALR in October 2022.
“This is matching and really exceeding our expectations for what we would see when we moved into Danville. What we’ve seen is Danville become a center, not just regionally but now nationally when it comes to controlled environment agriculture,” said Buelow, via WSLS 10.
