Lisbon, ME—Springworks, the largest aquaponic greenhouse operation in New England, today announced that its Green Leaf and Boston Bibb products are now available in all Hannaford Supermarkets stores. The increased distribution to the retailer’s Scodac, NY distribution center comes just ten months after Springworks switched from direct delivery to all stores served by the Scarborough, ME distribution center. “This new business from Hannaford is a testament to both the quality of our products and their long-standing commitment to supporting local food producers,” Springworks Farm CEO Trevor Kenkel said. “We’re proud to be on Hannaford’s shelves and we’re excited to build on our excellent relationship with their produce team.”
After working with local restaurants and food service wholesalers, Springworks reached out to Hannaford produce managers in 2017. Shortly thereafter, they made their first shipments to Lewiston, Brunswick, Topsham, Westbrook and Yarmouth where demand steadily grew. “Springworks is a great example of all the things we look for in a local producer – their quality and supply are consistently excellent, their service is terrific and they’re extremely innovative,” Hannaford Produce Category Manager Mark Jewell explained.
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“Our customers have been asking for a local, sustainable alternative to certified organic lettuce from California, Arizona and Mexico. Springworks’ year-round aquaponics operation in Lisbon is helping us respond to consumer demand while making progress on our sustainability goals so it truly is a win/win relationship.”
Springworks growth in Hannaford would not have been possible without the 12,000 square foot expansion project they completed in 2018. This expansion increased the company’s total growing space to 18,000 square feet and now enables Springworks to produce almost a million heads of lettuce and up to 60,000 pounds of tilapia per year. “Our relationship with Hannaford has been a driving force in our recent growth and we have some exciting plans in the works for future expansion,” Kenkel said. “We look forward to sharing the details of those plans very soon as we continue to work toward building a dependable, sustainable, and local food supply chain.”
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About Springworks
Founded by CEO Trevor Kenkel in 2014 when he was just 19-years old, Springworks is an aquaponic greenhouse grower located in Lisbon, Maine that produces certified organic lettuce and tilapia all year. Aquaponics is a type of farming that fosters the natural symbiotic relationship between plants and fish. The Springworks aquaponics system uses 90-95% less water than soil-based agriculture and the company’s proprietary system grows up to 20 times more produce per acre than a conventional farm.
About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 183 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 26,000 associates. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.
