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www.us-tech.com
July, 2021
Hanwha Techwin Keeps IGE at the Top of the Horticulture Market
By Michael Skinner, Editor F
ounded in 2016 by Chris Mayer and Bruce Zierk and headquartered in Sycamore, Illinois, Innovative Growers
Equipment (IGE) is known as a premier equipment supplier to commercial growers throughout North America. The company specializes in building custom “Made in the USA” Ebb & Flow greenhouse bench- es, matching expanded metal benches, grow racking systems, airflow solutions, lighting, and more, while providing essen- tial equipment and supplies for growers of quality plants throughout North America.
Grassroots Beginning All benches, plant support systems,
rolling and stationary racks are custom made to fit customers’ exact needs. Its staff has a significant amount of industry of combined industry experience in de- signing, engineering and building innova- tive solutions and products.
Chris and Bruce started IGE in mid-
2016 to meet horticulturists’ needs of rolling benches and racks. “We began as a true grassroots company. My family and friends loaned me their time, tools and ad- vice,” says Mayer, CEO of both IGE and In- novative Lighting Equipment (ILE) IGE’s lighting division. In 2017, he hired his first official em- ployee. By the end of that year, the company
was up to 30 employees and growing steadi- ly. Chris said that he then used his rolling bench product line to expand vertically into niche markets and, in 2018, he acquired wa- ter tank supplies. The next step was adding lights.
with Chris and designed lights around IGE’s racks and benches. In 2019, Innovative Lighting Equipment (ILE), a division of IGE, was born. ILE was a successful addition to IGE
from the start. It experienced significant growth in its first two years, especially in the horticultural markets, including hy- droponics and cannabis. Tomasko, ILE President, added that cannabis makes up approximately 85 percent of its business with the remaining 15 percent coming from horticulture/hydroponics and that legalization of cannabis has increased business, resulting in the need for LED lights.
High-Speed SMT Line The company is proud that it has
Recently, ILE installed a turnkey, high-speed large-board SMT line from Hanwha Techwin.
Enter Butch Tomasko, a lighting expert
with more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing and light building factories. Chris first met Butch when he purchased a line as a contract manufacturer. While the company phased out of CM to focus on horti- culture solutions, Chris and Butch main- tained their relationship. Butch partnered
never needed to borrow money, and that it is one of only a few companies that grew during the COVID pandemic. IGE is on track this year to earn its highest revenue, with approximately one third
coming from lights. To keep up with its horti- cultural lighting solutions sales, the compa- ny needed to expand its line. After much research, Hanwha Techwin
Systems was chosen. Butch used his long- time working relationship with Kurt Whit-
lock of Whitlock & Associates, one of Hanwha Continued on next page
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