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With a vision to modernize the digital infrastructure required to support fresh produce demand worldwide, PLANT AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS (PLANT-AS) announced its expansion to West Texas in June 2023. The modernization of the region’s strong agriculture industry with new technology exhibits strong parallels to the ever evolving and diversifying economy found across the region. The monumental partnership between Lubbock and Amarillo in bringing ground-breaking technology to the Texas Panhandle has not only bridged two hubs but planted a strong foundation for future industry growth through the region.
The monumental partnership between Lubbock and Amarillo in bringing ground-breaking technology to the Texas Panhandle has not only bridged two hubs but planted a strong foundation for future industry growth through the region.
The expansion includes the development of 13.3M square feet of advanced Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA) production facilities on 700 acres where fresh produce will be grown using state-of-the-art hydroponic technology. The company will be deploying a projected $670M in capital expenditure for the project, which will scale up operations over 10 years to employ over 900 people full-time at its Lubbock location alone.
PLANT-AS is an infrastructure service provider delivering both the physical and digital infrastructure necessary to support localized fresh produce demand in all regions of the world. As Lubbock is a community known for its robust agricultural heritage, locating in the region further enabled the company to pursue its vision to dynamically enable society’s transition to more sustainable methods of food production, distribution, and consumption. Likewise, as the technology sector continues to develop in the region, the advanced production facilities of PLANT-AS serve as modern data centers where production technicians will be supported by artificial intelligence to process crop-cycle data. The data collected and processed via IBM’s blockchain-supported system is the foundation of a digital infrastructure model that will transform the global food supply chain. From the amount of water usage to growth conditions, every aspect of food production is traced through the technology platform. Monitoring the food production to this degree allows for more transparent food traceability which leads to a more sustainable food supply chain. This expansion by PLANT-AS will provide residents within an eight-hour distribution radius access to real-time tracking of produce, empowering them to make more informed decisions about the food they consume.
From the very beginning, people have been the focus of the project. After several conversations and location-specific research, the company found the area’s workforce demographics to be skilled and diverse. An attractive aspect of the region’s workforce was the strong work ethic. Coupled with the agricultural and technological advantage of partners like Texas Tech University and other higher education institutions, the location of PLANT-AS in West Texas made sense. Improving the quality of life for not only their employees but future customers was also a key consideration for the company. Lubbock applies great emphasis on a work/life balance, as it is a key attractor to the area.
