James Bradley announced as Revol Greens’ CFO
"I am thrilled to join the innovative and dynamic team at Revol Greens during this pivotal time in the CEA sector. I eagerly anticipate shaping the company's financial future while upholding its commitment to sustainable agriculture and the delivery of fresh, locally grown lettuce and greens,” Bradley stated in the company’s recent press release.
Prior to his position at Revol Greens, which was effective May 1, 2023, Bradley led several financial endeavors as CFO, including the sale of Red’s All Natural in 2023, as well as diversifying Big Red Group’s beverage business and its successful sale to Keurig Dr. Pepper.
“With its national footprint and continued growth plans underway, Mr. Bradley will lead the overall financial strategy and process development for Revol Greens. In his new capacity, he will report directly to CEO Michael Wainscott,” as stated in the press release.
Revol Greens’ recent opening of the Temple, Texas facility, which opened in May 2022, adds an additional 50 acres of its total indoor greenhouse acreage along with its locations in Minnesota, California and Georgia.
The facility will “focus on improving controls, transparency and planning tools with technology and R&D to optimize our assets which will put us in a position to manage the much larger business of the future,” Bradley shared in an interview with FoodNavigator-USA.
“We are hyper-focused on reaching consistently higher yields throughout our portfolio of greenhouses to improve margins,” he added.
Revol Greens’ portfolio features organic spring mix salad blends and head lettuces grown via advanced greenhouse growing technology and methods using 90% less water than traditional field-grown lettuce, with four to six days’ longer shelf life than traditional methods. The company’s patented and animal-free Plant Fed Organic nutrient source eliminates the use of nitrates and pesticides resides achieving USDA Organic certification status.
While these methods are costly, Bradley maintains it is a reflection of both quality and accessibility, while continuously addressing strategies to keep costs down.
“High capital costs, energy and fixed costs are unique financial challenges to CEA and have been overcome by other produce categories. One thing that is not a challenge is water. We use 90% less water than field grown lettuce. We do not worry about whether it is going to rain or water restrictions. Our products may be more expensive to grow but have superior attributes that are very real and tangible. We are constantly evaluating opportunities to take cost out of the system with automation, operational efficiencies and smart investments to further advance our competitiveness in the marketplace,” he clarified.
Growing and distributing more than 30 million pounds of non-GMO lettuce and leafy greens annually across the country, Bradley noted the company’s large output and broad distribution will help expand its footprint from foodservice to consumers.
“CEA has been around for a long time and has been very successful for other types of produce categories. Quality and safety are among the most critical factors that have driven this success. We do not think it will be any different for the leafy greens category. Revol Greens will continue to expand because of safety, superior quality, sustainability and proximity to the consumer. Our products are not trucked across the continent to reach the consumer’s plate. They taste better. They are much safer. The foodservice sector recognizes this, and the consumer is not far behind,” Bradley explained.
