In controlled environment agriculture, unpredictability is more the norm than the exception. These days, however, this challenge isn’t just limited to the industry.

Today’s economic environment is riddled with uncertainty. Costs keep rising and supply chains remain fragile. Growers face everything from fluctuating tariffs and supply-chain breakdowns to longer lead times and tighter budgets.

This means every decision — from capital investments to operational upgrades — carries more weight. When margins tighten and timelines stretch, choices for essential items such as lighting or growing medium become especially critical to long-term success.

This is why Hort Americas partners with companies such as Acuity Brands and Grodan.

“In business, unpredictability favors the strong,” says Chris Higgins, co-founder and president of Hort Americas. “Strong companies are like strong people. They’ve proven they can handle the challenges in unstable markets and recognize opportunities in the chaos.”

In Grodan and Acuity Brands’ case, their products are manufactured in North America, meaning they remain connected to local suppliers. This minimizes shipping delays and avoids the ripple effects of global freight disruptions.

Geographic proximity also helps protect growers from unexpected tariff hikes and container shortages, which is critical when timing makes or breaks a growing cycle.

Support backed by people, not paper
Earlier this year, Higgins published a paper highlighting the importance of warranties, service and support. In times such as these, he stresses the importance of knowing that suppliers are financially capable of weathering the storm.

For example, Acuity Brands fixtures come with a 5-year replacement warranty. Plus, unlike many warranties in the industry, Acuity’s protection is clear and lacks legal wiggle room.

“Acuity Brands takes a straightforward approach to warranty language,” explains Higgins. “They do this because they have a proven history of standing behind what they build.”

Growers aren’t left to figure out issues on their own either. If any problem comes up, Hort Americas steps in to help.

In fact, at Hort Americas, lighting support doesn’t stop after installation. From troubleshooting to warranty coordination, the team stays involved.

“If a grower has a technical issue, our sales team is the first call,” adds Jordan Goulet, president and co-founder of Hort Americas Canada. “We either assist with a warranty claim or schedule a call with the right team member from the manufacturer.”

In other words, growers work with people who know their system and crops. So when questions come up about plants, the sales team has the knowledge to help there, too.

“We regularly touch base with clients to ensure their satisfaction,” Goulet continues. “This kind of follow-up is baked into how we operate.”

Built to last in tough conditions
One of Higgins’ go-to quotes is, “Quality is performance over time.” It’s a principle Hort Americas sees reflected in both Grodan and Acuity because the companies have proven reliability over decades.

Take Verjure horticulture lighting, for example. It’s built for longevity, using only Tier 1 LEDs and drivers that deliver consistent performance season after season. Every fixture undergoes extensive testing at Acuity’s facility in Decatur, Ga., for thermal performance, ingress protection, spectrum/output stability and electrical durability.

This level of design experience matters, especially in high-humidity greenhouses and tightly controlled vertical farms.

Furthermore, all Acuity horticulture fixtures are DesignLights Consortium (DLC) listed, meaning they’ve passed third-party testing and verification.

“It’s not foolproof,” Higgins notes, “But it’s one of the best tools growers have to validate performance. Just make sure the manufacturer’s spec sheet aligns with their DLC listing. If it doesn’t, that’s a red flag.”

In today’s lighting market, one of the more overlooked risks is legal exposure. Some manufacturers cut corners by using unlicensed or patent-infringing components. This puts growers in the crosshairs of litigation from major LED technology suppliers.

A risk like this is not just theoretical.

“We recently saw where an end user is facing litigation from a large LED supplier due to purchasing lights that infringed upon their patents,” warns Higgins. “This is a scary situation for any grower, and one that can be avoided by choosing a lighting partner that is a trusted partner of key component and technology suppliers.”

With Acuity, growers avoid these pitfalls. The company’s commitment to ethical sourcing and long-standing partnerships with top component providers means every fixture is built on solid legal and technical ground.

The bottom line is, lighting is more than hardware in controlled environment agriculture — it’s a growth tool. When backed by performance, personal support and a warranty from a $4 billion publicly traded company, lighting becomes a real strategic asset.

For more information:
Hort Americas
www.hortamericas.com