Episode 8: USA Made, Michigan Raised

Episode 8: USA Made, Michigan Raised

USA made Michigan Raised

Summary:

Del Rockwell and Michael Williamson explore the ever-changing cannabis industry and discuss the history of Pipp Horticulture, a leader in the racking space for cannabis cultivators. From discovering the benefits of modular racking systems to metal corrosion resistance to understanding the importance of voting with their dollars, in this episode, Del and Michael provide an in-depth look at the industry and the products driving it forward.

- Learn how 45 years of experience in the industry has led Pipp to develop products specifically for the cannabis space.

- Del talks about Pipp’s customer-centric approach and how they have embraced the cannabis industry and its culture. He also dives into how they have developed products for both horticulture and retail.

- Learn about the process of product development, from prototyping to third-party testing. Del also provides insight into his own learning process and talks about enrolling in Bruce Bugby's Horticulture and Cannabis course.

- Hear more about the knock down racking system and other exciting products that Pipp is developing for indoor cultivation.

- A great discussion on the challenges of the cannabis industry, such as taxes and pricing, and how partnerships have helped companies succeed.

- Advice on entering the cannabis industry, emphasizing the importance of having face-to-face conversations and listening to customers.

“We definitely got to drink from the firehose when it came to learning, and I think for the company as a whole, we absolutely tried to learn as much as we could. We wanted to listen to everybody that would try to impart a little bit of information or knowledge on us and try to combat it from that relatively humble perspective.” (Del)

“At the end of the day, are customer centric, and we view ourselves as customer centric almost to a fault. At times, it feels like, yeah, we'll do just about everything. We definitely want to listen to and hear out whatever system it is that they want to use.” (Del)

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This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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MJBizCon 2022

Pipp Horticulture 2023 Trade Shows

Pipp Horticulture 2023 Trade Shows

The Ultimate Vertical Grow System - Pipp Horticulture

See You Soon!

The 2023 trade show season is in full swing, and we can’t wait to see you! Stop by our booth at an upcoming show for FREE swag and to learn how Pipp’s Mobile Vertical Grow Racks can help elevate your grow operation. Read on for a list of the 2023 trade shows we will be attending!

Indoor Ag-Con

February 27-28 in Las Vegas, NV

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Indoor Ag-Con is the largest indoor agriculture trade show and conference in the USA for indoor vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture.

Find us at Booth #723 at the Caesars Forum

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Necann

March 10-12 in Boston, MA

The 2023 New England Cannabis Convention, a.k.a. “The Annual Meeting of the East Coast Cannabis Industry,” is back! Featuring a sold-out exhibit hall showcasing hundreds of companies spanning the full spectrum of the cannabis and hemp industries, plus five full programming tracks running all three days, with over 120 expert speakers covering all the relevant topics and news for the New England markets.

Find us at Booth #112 at the Hynes Convention Center

Attend Our Speaker Session!

This year we will be hosting a speaker session at 2 PM on 3/11 with Director of Cultivation Michael Williamson & Cannabis Operations Specialist Anders Peterson!

During this session, the team’s learning objectives will include “space planning & design layout, important factors to understand before you start, understanding environmental control needs in a multi-tier indoor cultivation facility, and genetics & key traits to consider in a multi-tier indoor cultivation facility. We will also discuss labor optimization topics such as improving safety, ergonomics, and productivity.”

LEARN MORE
CWCB Expo

June 1-3 in New York City

New York and the entire tri-state area are becoming one of the largest cannabis and hemp economic sectors in the country. Attend the 3-day CWCBExpo and stay for the special networking and Cannabis Week events in New York City – where business gets done!

Find us at Booth #515 at the Javits Convention Center

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GreenTech Amsterdam

June 13-15 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

GreenTech is the global meeting place for all professionals involved in horticulture technology. GreenTech focuses on the early stages of the horticulture chain and production issues relevant to growers. GreenTech offers two yearly exhibitions.

Find us at Booth #05 164VF at the RAI Amsterdam

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ICBC

June 29-30 in Berlin, Germany

ICBC Berlin is Europe’s longest-running and biggest B2B trade show and conference. Europe’s premiere cannabis business networking environment, the event attracts 350+ sponsors and exhibitors and 5000+ attendees from 80+ countries.

Find us at Booth #337-339 at the Estrel Berlin Hotel

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American Hort

July 15-18 in Columbus, OH

Join us to learn best practices and foster business connections so you and your business can perform better, grow faster than ever, and be prepared for the future.

AmericanHort, the leading national association for the green industry, will host Cultivate’23—the premier event for the entire green industry. Cultivate attracts thousands of industry professionals and visitors from all over the United States and the world.

Find us at Booth #2019 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center

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Cannabis Conference

August 15-17 in Las Vegas, NV

Cannabis Conference is the leading event for professionals from plant-touching cannabis businesses drawing in thousands of attendees from throughout the U.S., Canada, and nearly 30 other countries.

Find us at Booth #717 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

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MJBizCon

November 28 – December 1 in Las Vegas, NV

Connect with 1,400+ exhibitors while walking the 280,000+ square feet expo, hearing insights from 180+ speakers focusing on content with six pre-show forums. Connect with countless networking opportunities at MjBizCon.

Booth # Coming Soon!

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Pipp Horticulture at Culta in Maryland

9 Common Grow Room Problems to Avoid

9 Common Grow Room Problems to Avoid

Cultivating Cannabis at Culta with Pipp Horticulture Racks

You’ll likely encounter a few setbacks when first entering the cannabis industry. Learning what does and doesn’t work for your business takes time. Still, having a basic understanding of best practices beforehand can help you avoid common cannabis growing problems. 

You’ve invested so much into this space, and you want operations to run smoothly! So, how can you dodge the biggest pitfalls that can make or break grow room success?

We’re here to help you protect your investment by explaining 9 mistakes cannabis growers frequently make when getting started. Use this information to stay ahead of the competition and reap the benefits of a thoughtfully planned grow room.

Here are 9 common cannabis grow room mistakes to avoid:

1. Neglecting Utility Infrastructure

Plant count constantly changes as you develop as a business. However, the canopy footprint (or total bench area) is constant. Not understanding how much space you need to house your crop and accommodate expansion can cause substantial problems down the line. 

Do your plants have enough space to move and develop freely? Is your veg room large enough to meet your flowering goals? Can you easily implement new equipment and technology based on your canopy footprint?

These questions should guide you as you plan a grow room. If you struggle with maximizing your space, mobile vertical grow-racking systems can help you gain square footage without sacrificing quality.

2. Neglecting Utility Infrastructure

Assuming your new property has enough power, gas, and water to run your multi-tier grow facility can cause delays. 

For example, running too much equipment without adequate power can be hazardous. Dealing with electrical shocks and shorts can cost you valuable resources, yield, and time. Insufficient water flow can impair your ability to properly care for plants, ultimately impacting your entire operation.

3. Cutting Corners

Cultivation facilities are expensive, especially for a newcomer to the industry!

You may be tempted to cut corners by buying cheaper equipment or skimping on automated technologies. However, doing so means sacrificing yield, quality, consistency, and efficiency. 

Growing cannabis is a precise science. Even if you’re an expert cultivator, the wrong layout, tools, or growing media can destroy any potential to succeed or earn profit. How can you focus on creating a thriving grow room if your equipment keeps breaking or your employees lack the proper training?

4. Wasting Valuable Grow Space

One of your goals as a cultivator is likely to boost yield capabilities and profitability. Unfortunately, operating a single-tier growing platform cannot accommodate substantial expansion. 

Cannabis needs room to grow, meaning horizontal square footage dictates how many plants you can cultivate. Not taking advantage of your entire vertical canopy footprint limits your facility’s potential to increase inventory, implement new equipment, or introduce additional strains.

5. Hiring the Wrong People

“You get what you pay for” is unequivocally true in the cannabis-growing industry. Don’t assume anyone can handle the fast-paced, intense, and hands-on workflow that comes with cannabis cultivation. 

Potential hires can put whatever they want on their resumes–not checking their references or experience can mean dishing funds into more training or fixing their costly mistakes on the job. Even if they excelled at a smaller facility, can they manage thousands of plants as opposed to a few hundred?

6. Implementing Poor Environmental Controls

The initial costs of choosing reputable equipment can deter any grower, especially one who hasn’t yet turned a profit. However, long-term success is limited to good environmental controls. 

A poor airflow design is perhaps one of the most common cannabis growing problems–practical and consistent air circulation is pivotal throughout the entire cultivation process. Ultimately, a shoddy airflow system can result in many cannabis growing problems, including mold, bud rot, delayed growth, disease, and even plant death.

7. Choosing Inefficient Lighting

High pressure sodium (HPS) technology can be inefficient at converting electrical energy into usable plant light. Moreover, removing HPS-generated heat requires more cooling capacity, which can be an additional expense when designing your grow room.  

Alternatives like compact fluorescent lights (CFL) are inexpensive but power-hungry and short-lived. They are also generally only suitable for clones or seedlings. Ceramic discharge metal-halide (CDM) lamps provide a slightly better balanced light spectrum but are costly and unreliable.

Plants require various levels of light across development stages–your lighting layout and choices should account for these differences. Light exposure can dictate growth, flowering, and yield, so one mistake along the way can prove catastrophic to your crop.

8. Forgetting About Sanitization

Dirty facilities without proper reset and sanitization protocols increase the chance of disease, mold, pest infestations, and plant death. You also face the risk of failing regulatory lab tests. 

For instance, poorly cleaned or neglected equipment can be breeding grounds for pathogens like pythium. These fungi can wreak havoc on roots before your plants have time to thrive. Furthermore, two-spotted spider mites can house themselves in unsanitized pots, only to reemerge once new seedlings are planted. 

The worst feeling a cultivator can experience is failing a lab test or losing a harvest batch they just spent months growing.

9. Overlooking the Importance of Balance

Balance is the key to successful grow room design and operation. Are watering rates balanced with dehumidification capacity? Does your lighting align with CO2 levels? 

Every system within your grow room works in harmony. If you just think about your fertilizer solution or irrigation strategy, you fail to recognize other parameters that disrupt this harmony.

Finding Solutions to Cannabis Growing Problems

Creating a cannabis grow room is a huge undertaking–missteps are normal and expected along the way. Still, you can limit the risk of unplanned expenses and setbacks by educating yourself and your team about common mistakes. 

The Pipp Horticulture team can help you avoid these mistakes when growing cannabis. Pipp has a team of experts available to you with a combination of over 50 years of cannabis growing experience. We have engineered various cost-effective solutions to exponentially grow up to 5x more by maximizing cubic grow space and creating more efficient workflows. 

Moving forward with Pipp Horticulture means working closely with our in-house professional engineers, CAD designers, sales support, and experienced cannabis operators. Let us help you maximize your production capability, reduce operating costs, and increase your overall revenue per square foot!

Here are a few ways to avoid falling victim to cannabis grow room mistakes:

  • Run estimates: Estimates ensure you have a realistic overview of where you can allocate funds, whether to expansion or essential changes (e.g., purchasing new equipment). This data can limit delays, meaning you can get to work faster. 
  • Connect with local services: Engage with your local utility providers to estimate the timeline and cost of upgrading your facility to meet demand. 
  • Start out on the right foot: You must invest in efficient technologies to survive in today’s indoor cannabis market. For example, vertical farming can have a higher upfront cost. However, this asset sets you up for success with a lower production cost. 
  • Vet potential employees and partners: Investing in the right team will pay off in the long run! Engage experienced consultants, architects, engineers, and contractors specializing in building an indoor cannabis facility. Connect with the Pipp Horticulture team when considering a team!
  • Choose multi-functional solutions: The patented Vertical Air Solutions (VAS) system is designed to work with an HVAC system specified for vertical farm size and growing methods. The VAS system lets you control environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, airflow velocity, and CO2 levels, optimizing plant health and finished product quality.
  • Build up: Multi-tier farming may have a higher upfront cost. Still, the ability to produce more products in a smaller overall footprint is inherently more efficient and cost-effective. 
  • Simplify sanitation: Save yourself time and energy by using equipment designed to stay clean. Pipp Grow Racks have an E-Coat base and a powder coat top layer, providing antimicrobial and anti-fungal effects. 

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