May 23, 2019

BrightFarms to build Pennsylvania greenhouse with GIANT business

BrightFarms recently broke ground on a 250,000-square-foot greenhouse at Selinsgrove in Snyder County, Pennsylvania.

On Monday, May 20, dozens gathered at the construction site before attending a celebration at Susquehanna University, according to a press release from BrightFarms.

Those in attendance included Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding.

“This is not just a big deal for Pennsylvania – it’s a big deal for jobs and for the community – but I would add that it’s also a big deal for the consumer,” Redding said at the gathering. “At the end of the day, we’re in the food business and making sure that they are happy and that we have access to their tables is critical.”

BrightFarms is a partner for GIANT, which operates nearly 180 stores across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

“BrightFarms has long been one of our valued supplier partners and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of their new greenhouse in Snyder County,” GIANT Senior VP of Merchandising John Ruane said in a press release. “Each week, thousands of GIANT customers purchase BrightFarms’ fresh greens and this new facility will help them continue to do so, ensuring we deliver on our promise to deliver the very best local produce available. We are proud to do business with BrightFarms and look forward to doing so for years to come.”

The Food Marketing Institute’s 2019 Power of Produce report found that local produce matters to 84% of consumers, and 44% of them specifically seek it out and buy it whenever possible. That same report also found that produce is the number one driver for consumers when it comes to selecting their grocery store of choice.

“We have developed a year-round local salad program with GIANT and their efforts to source from local farms is remarkable. They are truly taking a consumer-centric approach to meeting the needs of their produce shoppers,” said Abby Prior, vice president of marketing at BrightFarms.

The greenhouse, which is scheduled to open in early 2020, will deliver fresh, local produce to Pennsylvania supermarkets within 24 hours of harvest. For more information, visit https://www.brightfarms.com.

Those attending BrightFarms’ ground-breaking were Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Garrett, GIANT Food Stores Senior Vice President of Merchandising John Ruane, Category Manager Matt Novosel from GIANT Food Stores, GIANT Vice President of Fresh Dave Lessard and GIANT Director of Floral and Produce Chris Keetch. Photo: BrightFarms