Laramie City Council to Vote on Loan for Laramie-Based Bright Agrotech
The Laramie City Council will decide whether to approve a loan agreement between the Wyoming Business Council and the city for Laramie-based Bright Agrotech’s new headquarters in Laramie during their meeting Tuesday night.
In June 2016, the State Lands and Investment Board granted final approval of a $2,685,750 grant and a $209,250 loan to support the construction of a 12,150-square foot corporate headquarters in Laramie. The grant was approved by the City Council in August 2016 and they will decide whether to approve the loan tomorrow night.
The headquarters, which is located in the Laramie River Business Park, is nearly complete and the company is moving into its new building, according to City Council documents. The Laramie Chamber Business Alliance provided the 3.85 acre plot the building is constructed on.
The project is expected to create 40 jobs over the next three years, with wages ranging from $14 for entry level positions to $40 per hour for skilled positions.
The LCBA plans on recouping $695,000 in lease payments from Bright Agrotech, which it will put towards other economic development opportunities.
Bright got its start in 2010 after co-founder Nate Storey graduated from the University of Wyoming with his Ph.D. in Agronomy. Storey developed the hydroponic vertical growing towers that allowed farmers to grow produce without soil and in very small spaces. Since then, bright has partnered with small farmers to start and grow indoor farms and providing high-tech growing systems, education and software.
Bright Agrotech was acquired by Plenty, a San Francisco-based vertical farming company, in June 2017. A team has remained in Laramie, while coordinating with another team in San Francisco.