The Right Design-Build Team for your Commercial Cannabis Facility

Posted on April 06, 2020 in Blog

Indoor cultivation facility design-build by Art Hance of Hance Construction Company.
Image courtesy of 2WR + Partners / MJ12 Design Studio

How to Choose the Right Design-Build Team for your Commercial Cannabis Grow Facility – The Race to Profitability

There are several things that go into growing the perfect cannabis crop, not to mention processing and packaging your product. Every grower wants to get high yields, and every cannabis organization wants to get to profit as quickly as possible. But while the world of commercial cannabis production is still in its infancy, as an owner you need to be careful about who you invite into your design-build process. Selecting a team who understands how complex it is to design (and operate) a cannabis facility will help you navigate through all the choices you’ll need to make, all while ensuring you operate with the greater goals of your organization in mind.

There’s a tendency to go fast and dive into the design as quickly as possible because owners know that every month they aren’t growing their product is another month they aren’t recouping their investment. As President and owner of Hance Construction, Inc., Art Hance has one piece of advice for owners venturing into the process of building a commercial cannabis facility. “SLOW DOWN. Owners and growers need to take time with the design team up front to get a good solid design nailed down, and then stick with it. Remember that your design needs to be based on how YOU plan to operate.” This saves on investment down the road because it’s more costly to re-engineer, redesign, and renovate something than to simply do it right the first time. And that additional renovation time can also lead to lost profits which can add up quickly each month you aren’t growing. Hance and his design-build partners in the cannabis space have seen growers make a multitude of mistakes by moving too quickly in the planning phase, and they know what it will cost you down the road.

How to Get to Profits Sooner

The best way to get to profit sooner is directly related to how soon you engage with your design-build team. Inviting a team with experience in cannabis, who can provide a coordinated comprehensive approach will make you more profitable sooner. It all begins with choosing the right location, continues with the design of your facility and persists all the way through the build process.

Nick Fair, Principal with Consulting Engineering Services says to “invite your design-build construction partner into your process before ever selecting your site. A good cannabis design-build team will understand how to help you navigate between the choice of cheap land vs. cheap construction. Trying to retrofit an existing building can end up costing more in the long run, so having your design-build team there to point out the pros and cons of your potential site helps you to make an informed decision.” Realtors, although great at finding existing space, don’t know what to look for because they don’t understand what goes into the construction of a successful cannabis facility. “There is so much complexity to it,” says Fair. “Having an expert there to help you navigate these choices, that are important today, 1 year away, 5 years, 10 years etc, from the start will situate you ahead of the game before your project even begins.”


Keep Your Goals in Perspective

While trying to make all the right choices throughout the design-build process for your cannabis facility, sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. A good team won’t let you forget your organization’s overall goals, because they will understand what the grower needs and help him define it in a way that makes sense to the goals of investors. “We can take what is ‘Greek’ to owners and translate it into something that makes sense and fits with your company’s goals. We know and understand most every growing methodology out there, and we have the experience to design for it.” says Sam Andras, Senior Principal and Partner, MJ12 Design Studio (a 2WR + Partners company).

Be sure to research and interview the right design-build team for your commercial cannabis grow facility – one who understands the entire process from site selection and infrastructure planning, to design, all the way through construction. Understanding all the growing methodologies will also go a long way in saving on costs up front, not to mention bringing your facility to the front of the pack in the race to profitability.

Hance Construction, Consulting Engineering Services, and MJ12 Design Studio collaborate as a “dream team” providing full-service consulting, design, and construction in cannabis facility building projects. It’s a team backed by decades of experience in design-build construction and a deep understanding of cannabis grow operations and methodologies. Whether you’re in the exploration, planning, or build phase to convert to a commercial cannabis grow facility, our master design-build experts can help get it to the next phase with a well-thought-out commercial grow room design plan focused on building profitability. Start the conversation with a qualified cannabis design-build team today!

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