Looking back at 10 greenhouse construction stories

Let's kick of this special with a topic everybody likes to watch and read about: new greenhouses. Although the market in some countries have been volatile, greenhouse development projects are progressing continuously around the world, ranging from research-focused facilities to large-scale, energy-integrated greenhouse complexes.

In countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, growers and technology partners are building new sites, upgrading existing operations, and adopting systems aimed at improving efficiency, sustainability, and year-round production capacity. Together, these developments provide a snapshot of the sector's current momentum and the practical steps being taken to meet future horticultural and market demands. And, more importantly, we've selected 10 cool stories for you.

© Dalsem Horticultural Projects

The new greenhouse project Pluck'd in Carroll County, Virginia will feature two greenhouse blocks complete with biomass-fired heating, including an advanced carbon capture system and packaging space. LED lighting, an intelligent climate computer using predictive algorithms, and automated irrigation systems will be fitted by Dalsem, in the first planned three-phase development. With an estimated annual production of over 45 million pounds of tomatoes for distribution to major US retailers across the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest, this greenhouse aims to set a new standard for sustainable agriculture in the region.

© Wageningen UR

In Bleiswijk, in the Netherlands, the first pile has been driven for a new high-tech research greenhouse of the Greenhouse Horticulture business unit of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). The design and construction are handled by Bom Group from Hoek van Holland. The greenhouse will enable the sector to address future challenges such as sustainability, climate-neutral cultivation, and further digitalisation.

© De Goeije Kroon

At strawberry nursery De Goeije Kroon in Dongen, Netherlands things are buzzing with activity. In one greenhouse, strawberry plants are growing steadily, while just across the partition wall, excavators are preparing the ground for expansion. Owners Jeroen and Nancy Peeters are adding 1.25 hectares of new greenhouse space, and if all goes according to plan, young strawberry plants will be in place by early January.

© Little Leaf Farms

Little Leaf Farms is continuing its expansion with a new campus in Tennessee. The new 215-acre site, located in Manchester, Tennessee, is initially planned for 40 acres of greenhouses, with an option to expand to 80 acres. With financing already in place, Little Leaf Farms will begin construction this summer with an anticipated launch in Fall 2026. Once fully operational, the Tennessee facility will have the capacity to produce enough leafy greens to service the Midwest, Southeast, and Texas. The facility will create several hundred jobs over five years.

© Kubo Group

Selected Group is expanding its investment in sustainable greenhouse cultivation in Sweden with the launch of Phase 2 of Project Frövi. In this second phase, KUBO will realize a 10-hectare Ultra-Clima greenhouse for tomatoes, including a 1-hectare service area, equipped with the latest technology and fully supported by KUBO's Smart Growing services. The new greenhouse will be built next to the existing greenhouse in Frövi, which was the first phase of the project.

After starting up the first phase of the technological renovation of its greenhouses in El Ejido in 2023, the Almeria-based company Producción Integrada Agrolíder has taken a clear step forward with the construction of a new state-of-the-art greenhouse, which will be ready to start with the planting in the next few weeks. "This new greenhouse is different to anything we've seen so far in Almeria. Even technicians from Portugal who have come specifically to visit the construction have told us that they have never seen anything like it," said Juanmi and Montse, the company's owners.

© Rivenhall Greenhouse

With a 100-acre low-carbon greenhouse, supplied with energy and CO₂ by a nearby waste management facility, Rivenhall Greenhouse Limited aims to reduce the UK's reliance on Mediterranean imports, which they see as increasingly at risk due to climate change. "If the recent Valencian storm had occurred only 200 kilometres further south, the implications for production regions would have been severe, resulting in food inflation throughout Europe," says Project Director Ed Moorhouse. Pending the due planning process, financing, and construction, the new Essex greenhouse site could be operational by 2027, marking a shift away from conventional hydrocarbon-based models.

© Mucci

KingsOne Farms has initiated construction on a 6.5-acre greenhouse facility in Kingsville, Ontario, focusing on year-round lettuce production. The project is led by Cole Mucci, a third-generation grower with prior experience as bell pepper operations manager at Mucci Farms. The facility is scheduled to commence production in fall 2025.​

© Richel Group

The Volta Group, an independent producer of renewable energy, and Richel Group, a European manufacturer of greenhouses and flexible-cover storage solutions, have announced the commissioning of photovoltaic greenhouses - Les Vergers de Fouillas - in the Drôme department. This brand new photovoltaic project for kiwi production in greenhouses will produce 7.3 GWh of green energy a year.

Beekenkamp Plants' new construction project on Korte Kruisweg in Maasdijk has been successfully completed. Within six months, the brand-new 4-hectare greenhouse for outdoor vegetable cultivation was finished. The first vegetable plants are now in the greenhouse, and plants have already been delivered from this new production site. "With any new construction project, planning is always an exciting challenge, and meeting the deadline is often uncertain. This was certainly the case during the construction of Beekenkamp Plants' new greenhouse. The involved parties considered the timeline demanding, and it was even labeled 'unrealistic' several times. However, thanks to intensive collaboration with all partners, success was almost guaranteed.