This month, we speak with Andrew Myers, the Co-founder and CEO of ProGrowTech, which is based in Flagstaff, Arizona. ProGrowTech provides LED lighting solutions for grower operations of all sizes. 

Industry Sector:
Cannabis Cultivation Supply

NCIA Member Since:
December 2017

Tell me a bit about your background and why you launched your company?

I spent more than 14 years in state and national politics before founding ProGrowTech with my partners. I was especially involved in Arizona’s budding cannabis industry, serving as campaign manager and chief spokesperson for Proposition 203, Arizona’s successful effort to legalize medical marijuana. I was also one of the authors of the 2010 Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, and co-founded the Arizona Medical Marijuana Association, an organization for licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. I also served as executive director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association.

My team and I founded ProGrowTech because we knew cultivators were unhappy with the quality of grow lighting available. None of the established players in the marketplace had developed a solution that fully met the needs of commercial growers. We designed our Evolve Series LED fixtures to address common grower pain points, helping them conserve energy, increase the quality and quantity of their harvests, and improve profitability.

What unique value does your company offer to the cannabis industry?

Beyond providing top-tier, energy efficient technology, our team works one-on-one with growers, assisting with facility design, energy rebate applications, installation, advanced growing techniques and ongoing maintenance to help their operations succeed. Growers can consider ProGrowTech a long-term partner who can help them elevate their operations in a sustainable way.

Cannabis companies have a unique responsibility to shape this growing industry to be socially responsible and advocate for it to be treated fairly. How does your company help work toward that goal for the greater good of the cannabis industry?

The cannabis industry is still very much in its infancy, which gives businesses like ProGrowTech the unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Our team has had a long-standing commitment to supporting responsible growth in the industry.

We’re members of the Resource Innovation Institute’s Founder’s Circle and sponsor and sit on the board of the Cannabis Certification Council. Both of these organizations are hyper focused on improving the efficiency, sustainability and ethics of commercial cannabis operations. We’re also members of NCIA, which has supported, protected and advocated for the cannabis industry since its founding.

My experience with Arizona’s medical cannabis legislation and other team members’ experience as cultivation facility owners and growers themselves has given us a unique, holistic perspective on the industry and where we can make a difference.

What kind of challenges do you face in the industry and what solutions would you like to see?

In the lighting industry, our main challenge is to bring cultivation lighting technology into the 21st century. A lot of large cultivation facilities were built years ago when there wasn’t as much openness in the industry and high quality, energy efficient lighting was scarce. Our role is to not only provide the world class technology growers are missing, but also to educate them. We can help growers expand their vision of what is possible in their facility, allowing them to increase yields while lowering operations costs so they can remain competitive.

Why did you join NCIA? What’s the best part about being a member?

We joined NCIA because we believe in and support the organization’s mission. I have been supportive of NCIA since its founding, and have known NCIA co-founder Aaron Smith for many years.

Most importantly, NCIA brings together innovative, engaging cannabis industry leaders at numerous events each year. These events have been tremendously valuable for ProGrowTech, allowing us to spread our message, showcase our technology and connect with like-minded people across all facets of the cannabis industry.