Big Green Tomato Is No More

An Emmett Township hydroponics business is selling to a nationwide chain.   Big Green Tomato (BGT) has been selling equipment for indoor plant growing, mostly marijuana, for nine years at 478 Main Street in Battle Creek.

The nation’s leading hydroponics retail chain, GrowGeneration, today announced it is acquiring Big Green Tomato’s two Michigan stores, one in Taylor and the Battle Creek store.

With the acquisition of Big Green Tomato, GrowGen will now own six hydroponic garden centers in Michigan.  In addition to Battle Creek and Taylor, the company will operate in Grand Rapids, Livonia, and two in Lansing. GrowGen projects it will generate annual revenues well over $40 million annually in the state.

Big Green Tomato is one of Michigan’s premier hydroponic equipment stores, founded in 2011 by a team of experienced executives with 25 years of combined experience in the industry. BGT’s two stores are bringing in nearly $16 million in revenue each year. As part of the transaction, GrowGen purchased the 10,000 square-foot retail property on Main Street in Battle Creek.

“Michigan’s recreational cannabis market is growing exponentially,” said Tony Sullivan, GrowGen’s COO. “We’re encouraged by new state regulations that will allow for more cultivation licenses, which in turn will fuel continued expansion and growth for GrowGeneration’s customer base in the state.”

The company says Michigan has the second-highest medical marijuana market in the country, behind California, and that Michigan's recreational cannabis market is on track to surpass $1B over the next couple of years

Currently, GrowGen has 31 stores in eleven states.  They carry and sell thousands of products, including organic nutrients and soils, advanced lighting technology, and state of the art hydroponic equipment to be used indoors and outdoors by commercial and home growers.