With decades of hands-on experience in cannabis facility construction, manufacturing and retail, the Next Big Crop team leverages hard-earned knowledge to create streamlined and efficient floor plans to boost productivity and reduce operational costs. Whether it’s a new build, retrofit or upgrade, we see the project through to completion.
We work with our clients to determine their long-term operational and phasing goals and incorporate that vision into a Conceptual Master Site Plan. This plan considers all operational structures and areas, as well as all future phases.
With our client’s methodology, throughput and product-offering goals in mind, we create a conceptual space plan, including all cultivation and support areas. We ensure that all production and support areas are adequately sized to accommodate planned operations and scaling. Next Big Crop floor plans focus on maximizing the allowable cultivation space, optimizing process-flow and labor efficiency, while maintaining compliance and security.
Once the floorplan is complete, it’s time to lay out the plant canopy. Depending on the long-term goals, site capabilities and budget, we work with you to determine if single-tier benching and/or multi-tier racking is the best fit for the operation. Sometimes, a combination of the two makes the most sense: single-tier for flowering plants and multi-tiered for the vegetative phase, for example. Stacking veg can create serious space savings, even in lower-ceiling scenarios.
Based on the approved configuration of benches and racks, we’ll then help select lighting solutions that work best for the layout.
Replacing outdated equipment and updating systems can be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, or is it a round peg in a square hole? Either way, it can be difficult to balance your daily operations when wide-reaching facility improvements are underway. We work with your team to specify the right equipment, and to plan operationally, for retrofit projects.
We work with architects, engineers and general contractors throughout the design and construction phases to ensure all systems (HVAC, irrigation, etc.) and equipment placements stay on track for the planned production capacities and optimal daily workflow once the facility goes online.
Next Big Crop is a full-service cannabis consulting firm. We can improve your cannabis business outcomes at every development stage – whether you’re just starting or you’ve been in the game for years.
We can assist with license procurement, facility design and construction, systems integrations, equipment, materials sourcing, management, compliance, and more.
You must develop a business plan, determine your budget, and secure funding before completing a license application. Most importantly, you’ll need to research your state’s cannabis laws and license application requirements.
We understand that learning the industry can be a daunting task, so we offer license procurement services.
With our comprehensive knowledge of the cannabis industry application process, we have won and secured operational licenses in competitive markets from PA, MD, OH, CO, AK, VA, CA, and NV.
Understanding how to analyze commercial cannabis production costs will give you insight into your potential production costs. We wrote a comprehensive blog on the topic you can find here.
Having a lead master grower with intimate knowledge of the different types of finished cannabis is incredibly beneficial, but finding this cannabis guru can be difficult.
When hiring a master grower, or cultivation manager, you must ensure the grower is equipped to run your cannabis business. We put together a blog to help you determine whether or not a master grower can handle essential business operations. You can read the piece here.
Upgrading your cultivation facility is almost always the intent for most people starting a cultivation business on a minimal budget. But scaling your operations is expensive.
You should ask yourself one thing before attempting to scale: will an upgrade investment increase profitability and productivity?
If the answer is “yes,” you will need to determine a budget, have a well-thought-out plan and strategy.
Once you have completed your cultivation facility design, you’ll need to select the appropriate finishes. Your selected finishes will be based on different factors like grow op size, location, and layout, along with your budget.
Limiting the number of people in your facility keeps the environment clean and prevents contamination.
Typically, a facility requires staff with a unique skillset (cultivation managers, master growers, junior growers), but more owners realize they can save dollars by automating specific processes like watering, trimming, and environmental control. Process automation has also proven beneficial when staffing becomes a challenge, as we’ve seen during the coronavirus pandemic.
Your cultivation methodology and plant count will generally dictate how much space you need to achieve optimal output at your facility. You can learn more about the process here.
There are many variables to consider when determining a dehumidifying system, like room temperature, plant quantity, and watering schedule.
You can figure one ton of cooling for every two high-pressure sodium (HPS) grow lights or four LED lights. Here’s your mantra: water in equals water out.
When plants start growing, it can become warm, dense, and humid like a rainforest, which is why it’s essential to understand the importance of dehumidifying and to invest in a good dehumidifier or HVAC system.