Plenty has announced significant updates supporting the development of its new R&D facility. Following the announcement of the project earlier this year, the project steering committee has selected MOA Architecture as the architecture and engineering (A&E) firm. Plenty is also adding Laramie to its leadership team – Sasha Preuss has joined the company as its Vice President of Plant Science.
"What drew me to Plenty was not just the company's leading technology and runway for innovation and scale, but the genuine passion of everyone on the team to find actionable solutions for one of today's most important, global issues: feeding people," said Sasha Preuss, Plenty Vice President of Plant Science. "I'm excited to join Plenty to move more crops from conceptualization to production in our farms, and I'm fortunate to be working with a diverse team of talent as we leverage science and technology to secure the future of food."
"Since day one, Plenty's investment in R&D and our work to develop a transformational new method of growing plants has been what set us apart. Building the most advanced vertical farming research center in the world will make it possible for us to further scale our innovation and to continue advancing the fields of agriculture and plant science in the face of an increasingly volatile climate," said Dr. Nate Storey, Plenty co-founder, and Chief Science Officer. "As we ramp up our cutting-edge crop research to scale what Plenty farms can deliver in the U.S. and beyond, we're fortunate to have Sasha's expertise and leadership shaping the future of plant science at Plenty."
Plenty's new facility was made possible thanks to the support of a $20 million economic development grant through the Wyoming Business Council to the City of Laramie. The Laramie Chamber Business Alliance (LCBA) is also providing additional funding, land, and support for the project, bringing total support for the project to $22.5 million. The project steering committee conducted a thorough, statewide review and chose MOA Architecture as the A&E firm. The selection was based on MOA's capabilities and expertise from two decades of experience in Wyoming, as well as its commitment to achieving the project's vision and objectives.
"As a proud Wyomingite, I'm excited to see the innovation and technological advances Plenty has made here and the massive growth and research potential on the horizon as we begin our work together in Laramie," said Brandon Daigle, Director of MOA Wyoming. "We're honored to have been chosen as the A&E firm on this project, and we look forward to leveraging our expertise and experience to design this groundbreaking new research facility."
"Home-grown tech companies like Plenty and redefining projects like this research facility are helping put Laramie on the map for those who want to pursue studies or a career in STEM," said Brad Enzi, CEO and President of the LCBA. "We're excited to see this project's forward momentum as it progresses into the next phase."
Following the installation of MOA as the A&E partner, the steering committee will move forward with the process to secure a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to support the team on design and manage the shift to the building phase.
For more information:
Plenty
www.plenty.ag