John’s roots as a grower run deep. He grew up on the family farm in Burton, Ohio among 30 acres of corn, soybeans and greenhouses. His grandfather started Burton Floral and Garden, the Midwest’s largest horticultural supply distributor. John’s father worked there, eventually forming Dillen Products and growing it into a top supplier of plastic containers for the plant industry.

Growing up around these companies, John learned the ins and outs of the industry. Bolstering that knowledge with a B.A. in Business Administration, he successfully ran the family greenhouse operation for six years. In 2008, Greenhouse Grower magazine called him “one to watch” for his progressive approach to production and sustainable energy. Crain’s Cleveland Business followed suit, including John and his sister in their 2009 “40 Under 40” class.

In 2011, John left the family greenhouse to start a new kind of hydroponic growing operation. With wheelbarrow loads of hard work and innovative thinking, the Great Lakes Growers company we know and love today was born.

 Delivered Clean

There’s absolutely no dirt or soil used in our growing process, which ensures you get the cleanest produce possible. All of our lettuces go through a rigorous 4-step quality control process before it is packaged and our employees follow strict harvesting and packing protocols. Because we do not use chemical pesiticides or herbcides, rinsing the lettuce before consumption is optional.

 Environmentally Friendly

We can grow nearly 20 times the amount of produce in the same “space” as traditional field farming, which means our impact on land is substantially reduced. In addition, we recycle 100% of our hydroponic irrigation water, which eliminates runoff to the surrounding tributaries, which results in 90+% less water usage that traditional farming. Our LED lights result in a 30% reduction in energy usage as compared to other growing operations. Finally, because we operate in a state of the art glass greenhouse, our environmental control software systems minimize the use of supplemental energy by maximizing the sun’s energy output further reducing our carbon footprint.

 Reliable & Consistent Fulfillment

Because we grow in a fully-enclosed greenhouse, we are not beholden to unexpected changes in weather that would alter crop production. We are never subjected to the same massive produce recalls as other growers because of our extensive food guidelines, state-of-the-art water treatment and employee harvesting and packing protocols. In addition, we deliver with our own fleet of trucks and drivers to 300-mile delivery radius, which ensures we are able to consistently deliver on-time, every time.