Garden Trends Inc, parent company of Harris Seeds, is pleased to announce their acquisition of HopsHarvester, an equipment manufacturer specializing in harvesting and processing hops.
HopsHarvester designs, manufactures, and sells machinery that enables hops growers to harvest their crops in a fraction of the time compared to traditional methods. With the Hopster Harvester, growers can harvest 2-3 hops bines per minute. It's portable and self-powered, which allows growers to use it anywhere in their fields. HopsHarvester also manufacturers commercial dryers, which can be used for a variety of crops, and balers of 20 or 100 pounds.
"This comes at an ideal time in the growing industry," said Garden Trends Inc CEO Ken Wasnock. "The craft beer industry has seen a significant spike in the past few years, and as more farmers turn towards hops as a cash crop, they will also seek a more efficient harvest and drying method."
Garden Trends Inc brands have been providing commercial growers and home gardeners with high-quality seed and plant products for more than 140 years, and the HopsHarvester line of equipment will be another addition to their lineup with the aim of supporting growers of all types.
"It was an easy choice for my business partner and I to work with the team at Garden Trends Inc," said John Bonzo, founder of HopsHarvester. "We're inventors and entrepreneurs, not large-scale business owners. Once we saw the interest and business potential for HopsHarvester, we needed the guidance of someone with a strong business acumen, and we knew Ken and his team would be a great fit."
Now, the Hopster Harvester and the rest of HopsHarvester's products will be sold under the Garden Trends Inc family of brands.
"We see the Hopster Harvester and the rest of the HopsHarvester products as another avenue to support our customers," said Wasnock. "We're looking forward to the 2021 growing season and beyond."
About HopsHarvester
The HopsHarvester family of products was designed to bridge the gap between the short harvest time for hops and a growing labor shortage, giving growers the tools and equipment they need for a successful crop. What started as a single product has now turned into a full line of hops harvesting equipment, serving growers across the nation.
About Harris Seeds and Garden Trends Inc.
Harris Seeds was founded in 1879 by Joseph Harris, an English immigrant who used his expertise in the selection of superior strains of vegetables and grains to build a successful business that was owned and managed by his family for three generations. In 1987, the mail order catalog business was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Byram Dickes of Chicago, IL and incorporated as Garden Trends, Inc., DBA Harris Seeds. Today, Garden Trends Inc has grown to be the parent company for agricultural brands including Harris Seeds, GardenTrends, GardenTrends Wholesale, Ken-Bar, and now, HopsHarvester.
