Green Point Research (GPR), an international phytocannabinoid-rich hemp biomass originator and processor, announces it's expanding its footprint with the purchase of a 32-acre campus from the Hamilton County Development Authority. This new North Florida hemp campus, located in an opportunity zone, will house the company's operational headquarters and serve as a central aggregation and fulfillment center for all parts of the hemp supply chain in the Southeast. When complete, the campus is expected to be one of the largest hemp campuses of its kind in the United States.
"The opening of our newest location is the result of our continued growth in farming operations and a prioritized focus on providing farmers across a broader region with much-needed hemp services to enable their success," said David Hasenauer, CEO of Green Point Research. "We are excited to partner with Hamilton County to bring new job opportunities and supply chain benefits to the area."
As part of Green Point Research's vision and commitment to serve Farmers First, it will be providing much-needed hemp services at the campus location. The multi-building campus offers 60,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space available for use now. The installation of a large rotary drum dryer onsite to handle biomass drying and the buildout of office space for a call center and executive offices (accounting, legal, operations) are now in progress. Upcoming plans include the retrofit of the former Jai Alai court into a large-scale hang drying, trimming, and curing room for smokable flower and the buildout of key extraction and refining processes for the dried biomass. Longer-term plans include the upgrade of the existing commercial kitchen to provide hemp-infused consumer products in bulk. Services to be offered at the campus include agriculture education and workforce training, consulting on hemp farming best practices, drying, extraction, testing, research, and other services.
Several of the company's employees based in different locations will begin work at the Hamilton County campus to focus on building-out and managing this important location. The global company expects to expand by adding at least 20 employees to this location once the facility is fully operational.
The hemp campus is centrally located to many of Green Point Research's farming partners located throughout the Southeast. In addition, Hamilton County's geographic location provides operational advantage and strategic positioning for GPR. The first three exits into Florida on Interstate 75, near the I-10 corridor, are located within the county. The proximity of these two main highways is a crucial axis point from the Ports of Miami and Tampa in the South to JaxPort in Jacksonville to the east. This will provide GPR a more optimal solution for its hemp market distribution, as the crop relies heavily on an efficient supply chain to maintain product quality. Green Point Research farming partners are expected to benefit from the supply chain expertise, convenience, and cost savings provided by the one-stop-shop location for all their hemp service needs.
"We are excited about the opportunities Green Point Research brings to Hamilton County in the agriculture bioscience sector. Through our working relationship with the company, we have found Green Point to be a high-quality organization with demonstrated results and a strong connection to the communities it serves. Hamilton County's 72,000 acres of farmland is an ideal location for agriculture and food manufacturing. The region's assets and commitment to the community make it an ideal partner with Green Point Research as we sow the seeds of success together," said Chadd Mathis, Executive Director of the Hamilton County Development Authority.
The development collaboration with the county involved the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, Hamilton County Economic Development Authority (EDA), and the North Florida Economic Development Partnership. The county's business-friendly commissioners and EDA provided GPR location advisement, continued assistance in finding talent, insightful data research, and a financial incentive. GPR will join other top employers in the area, including Nutrien, a global agriculture company.
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