Innovator Spotlight:
Holistic Industries
Madison Heights, MI
Innovator Spotlight:
Holistic Industries is proof that quality and quantity can blaze trails together. While high quality cannabis is usually grown by small-scale operations, the expert growers at Holistic Industries have developed the means to produce top-shelf products at impressive scale in six different states. This unique combination of quality and quantity is particularly critical in the Michigan market, where consumers are very knowledgeable and, therefore, very demanding.
Holistic Industries meets high market demands with an experienced team of experts, who apply cutting-edge technology to top-notch, forward-leaning cultivar selection. They tailor final products—such as extractions, cartridges, gummies, and pre-rolls—to meet community needs and consumer trends. Tireless efforts to improve technology and procedures have allowed the team to dial-in their large facility and provide exquisite products at scale in an ultra-competitive market.
Crop science and crop steering are integral to Holistic Industries’ continued success in the Michigan market. Their experts understand that light is not only the limiting factor for yield, but also a significant tool for crop steering. Fluence is proud to partner with Michigan’s game-changing “Champions of the Plant” by providing top-lighting with VYPR LEDs, revolutionary intercanopy lighting with VYNE LEDs, and industry-leading horticultural support services.
Project Overview
| Cultivator Name: | Holistic Industries |
| Location: | Madison Heights, MI |
| Crop: | Cannabis |
| Fluence Fixture: | VYPR3p BW4 and VYNE intercanopy lighting |
| Type of Facility: | Indoor |
| Results: | Desired quality and aesthetic National reputation for continued excellence Pushing the needle with intercanopy lighting |
Growing Pains
Environmental control was a major challenge with HPS
Expensive barrier to entry for early LED adoption
Concerned about changes to HVAC and electrical
ChallengesGrowing Pains
When LEDs were introduced in 2012, they met a lot of internal resistance among horticulturists. At that time, LEDs were more expensive than HPS fixtures, and most growers were comfortable in their ways. Still, there were many drawbacks to using HPS—environmental control was difficult, microclimates were prevalent, and the lights were inefficient, to name a few. Over the years, as technology improved and LEDs became less expensive, horticulturists adopted LEDs at increasing rates until they became the industry standard in the late 2010s.
Around that time, Holistic Industries built out new rooms in Pennsylvania with HPS fixtures, but they simply “weren’t working” to accomplish their goals. Holistic Industries’ experts found that LEDs worked better for their operation, so when Massachusetts forced indoor growers to switch to LEDs, Holistic Industries said, “why not do both.” In 2018, Holistic Industries partnered with Fluence, and never looked back at HPS. All new builds across six states were equipped with advanced Fluence LEDs. Eventually, Holistic Industries retrofitted each of their facilities, so that today they operate 100% under controllable, spectrum-specific VYPR top-lighting.
ResultsHappy, but still Hungry
Holistic Industries’ Michigan-based facility is relatively new, but already their experts and products are finding immense success in the ultra-competitive market. A big key to their success as a multi-state operator (MSO) is their data-driven approach that addresses the unique needs of customers in each state. Another key is their ability to dial-in each facility immediately, which is made possible through years of experience, dedicated individuals, and with knowledge and resources from passionate scientists and growers on Fluence’s Horticultural Support Services team.
Holistic Industries is dialed-in and doing very well in Michigan. Their reputation precedes them, but it also grows as more and more patients and consumers realize the joy when quality and quantity are married. The growers at Holistic Industries are happy with their success and customers’ satisfaction, but success is never truly satisfied. Their expert growers continue to search for ways to “move the needle” on quality and efficiency. Fluence’s Crop Sciences team plays a vital role in this ongoing quest by partnering with Holistic Industries and sharing their specialized knowledge and extensive experience in the field of horticultural lighting. Through their data-driven approach and unmatched commitment to excellence, Holistic Industries is setting the bar for success in the competitive cannabis industry.
Desired quality and aesthetic
National reputation for continued excellence
Pushing the needle with intercanopy lighting
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