Shenandoah Growers, Inc., Rockingham, Va., opened a new expanded production facility in Jefferson, Ga. The facility will pack, ship and grow fresh, certified-organic herbs to meet local demand, expand Shenandoah Growers' living organic product line and improve delivery logistics in the Southeast region.

The 62,400-square-foot facility is one of Shenandoah Growers' latest NextGen Indoor BioFarms, which is a vertical, soil-based and technology-enabled production facility. It will serve as a pack and ship facility, with plans to expand operations to include growing capabilities in the fall. Once fully operational, the new facility will utilize Shenandoah Growers' NextGen climate controls, an LED nursery and germination chamber and advanced checkweighers.

"As Shenandoah Growers expands operations across the country, we're implementing cutting-edge technology to meet the needs of our 23,000 retail partners nationwide," says Jimi Farrell, regional vice president of operations. "This newest facility in Jefferson is an important step toward our goal of bringing 80% of growing operations indoors, allowing us to grow, pack and ship high-quality, fresh, organic product for consumers year-round."

The NextGen Indoor BioFarm will employ more than 120 team members to maintain facility operations. The Jefferson production facility began operations on May 20 under the leadership of Patrick Guzzo, general manager, and will serve retailers in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana.