Akron, Ohio
Mobile Vertical Grow Racks Optimize Cannabis Cultivation Facility
An Ohio medical cannabis cultivation facility quadrupled its canopy area while staying within state-mandated square footage.
A Commitment to Health
As the only certified organic medical cannabis grower in Ohio, Galenas LLC is committed to patient health and environmental sustainability. That commitment is manifested in an award-winning cultivation facility in Akron, where the firm grows cannabis in compost-based living soil. The facility also features an advanced water reclamation system along with high-efficiency LED lights and sophisticated environmental controls.
It all adds up to a clean and consistent product that’s as sustainably produced as possible.
GROW Mobile System Guide
Download the guide to understand all your options.
GROW Mobile System Guide
Download the guide to understand all your options.
A Limiting License
When Korff and architect Jeremy Schlicher began conceptualizing the facility’s design, their thoughts were focused on a simple fact: the state-issued cultivation license limited the grow area to 3,000 square feet. “The challenge in this state is to maximize the utility of the space,” Korff said. “Using the square footage allotment that we had in the most efficient way possible was a top priority.”
The solution was two-fold: first, Korff wanted to use mobile benching to optimize the grow rooms’ square footage. Then he wanted to go vertical to maximize the volume. Growing on multiple tiers of mobile benching would allow the facility to quadruple its canopy area.
"Our goal is to minimize our carbon footprint while also creating the best possible environment for the plants."
- Geoffrey Korff, Galenas founder and CEO
Mobile Vertical Grow Racks Optimize Space
After talking with multiple mobile vertical grow rack vendors, the design team opted to design the cannabis cultivation facility with Spacesaver’s GROW Mobile Systems in each of its two grow rooms. Each system consists of 20-foot-tall widespan shelving mounted on 50-foot-long ActivRAC® Mobilized Storage System carriages that move on rails to eliminate wasted aisle space. Three tiers of racking support LED lights, ventilation systems, and irrigation systems in addition to plants and soil-filled pots.
After the design was finalized, the team embarked on a complex construction process. Due to the Spacesaver systems’ size, components had to be delivered and stored inside the cultivation area before the facility was actually built. “Having Spacesaver involved early on helped the general contractor work the racking into the construction process,” Schlicher said. “In addition to having the rails installed in the floor when the concrete was poured, we also needed to store components inside the space before it was constructed. Tiering the delivery of materials was very important.”
4X the Grow Area
When compared to stationary 4×8 tables, Spacesaver’s GROW Mobile System quadrupled the grow area in the facility’s 3,000 square feet of cultivation space.
The two grow rooms started with 18 tables = 576 sqft. of canopy and now has 72 tables = 2600 sqft. of canopy.
A Robust Mobile Vertical Racking System
Weight was a major consideration when selecting the best mobile vertical grow rack system for the Galenas facility. The planning team needed to consider the weight of multiple tiers of soil-filled pots, as well as the weight of lighting, irrigation, and ventilation systems.
50-Foot-Long ActivRAC 7M Carriages
- System bears 7,000 pounds per carriage section
- Mechanical-assist handles allow staff to move thousands of pounds with minimal effort
- Single 91”-wide aisle or multiple aisles
20-Foot Tall RaptorRAC® Widespan Shelving
- Welded uprights support three tiers of growing area
- Modified diagonal bracing ensures stability while also allowing easy access to plants, lighting, and other systems
"Spacesaver gives us the opportunity to produce as much quality product as we can."
- Geoffrey Korff, Galenas founder and CEO
Trusted Partners
The local Spacesaver consultant provided valuable insight throughout the entire process, starting with early design conversations and continuing through installing the mobile vertical grow rack systems, staff training, and long-term maintenance. “The Spacesaver team was helpful in developing more budget-friendly alternatives without losing primary function, like manual operation versus electronic, for instance,” Schlicher said. “Then there was a lot of back and forth, sending floorplans, getting technical details from them and talking with the structural engineer.”
As with any complex project, Spacesaver’s participation in the early planning stages helped the entire process run more smoothly. “Choosing your partners is really critical to the design and build of these operations,” Korff said. Having Spacesaver on board made the process much simpler. They were far and away one of the best vendors we chose to work with.”
Learn more
Learn about our GROW Mobile System by downloading this guide.
Learn more
Learn about our GROW Mobile System by downloading this guide.
