Jeff Kline, Vice President of Sales for BioSafe Systems, watched the company grow from 10 employees in 2007 to about 90 employees in 2022. This significant growth is a direct reflection of BioSafe Systems’ consistent provision of sustainable chemistries to the markets it serves, including greenhouse growers. It’s something the company has been laser-focused on doing throughout its almost 25-year history.
“And we’ve gotten better at it,” Kline said. “We bring in people that believe in our mission and have confidence in what we’re doing, which allows us to better serve our customers.”
Providing sustainable chemistries and serving the customer go hand in hand, Kline noted. “We want to understand our customers’ objectives and goals so we can match the right solutions to their needs,” he said.
Kline says the use of sustainable chemistries continues to grow in horticulture. He says, BioSafe Systems is committed to educating growers on how to successfully integrate sustainable chemistries into their operations. BioSafe Systems aims to help growers discover gaps and identify pain points in their operations where sustainable chemistries could make a difference.
“There’s a lot of conversation that’s inbound and outbound, and we create relationships with our customer base that can stand the test of time.” That community feeling is firmly rooted in the BioSafe Systems company culture.
With its products, Kline added, BioSafe Systems adheres to the three pillars of sustainability: environmental (planet), social (people), and economic (profits). “When it comes to sustainable chemistries and integrating them into conventional and organic programs, it’s important for the company leading this charge to educate growers about these concepts and help them meet their sustainability objectives in a fashion that is economically viable,” Kline says.
Most of BioSafe Systems’ products are certified by OMRI and MPS, two of the world’s leading jurisdictions on organic practices, Kline says. Many of its products’ environmental profiles contain low restricted-entry intervals (REI), zero preharvest intervals (PHI), and no maximum residue levels (MRL).
BioSafe Systems takes sustainability further than just the chemistry in its products. Kline points out the company embraces the social aspect of sustainability by creating jobs in local communities. BioSafe Systems has manufacturing facilities in three U.S. locations: Coldwater, MI; Cairo, GA; and Sparks, NV, and is developing a fourth facility in Yuma, AZ.
“By being closer to our growers in those areas, we have also cut down a lot of shipping time as well as the carbon footprint associated with those logistics,” he added. “But more importantly, it allows us to be local and involved in the communities we serve.”
For BioSafe Systems, the future is clear – it’s about making strategic investments to better serve its customers. The company brought in several Ph.Ds to grow its research and development department. Last March, BioSafe Systems opened an Innovation Center near its headquarters in East Hartford, CT, to continue learning, analyzing, and developing new sustainable chemistry that will carry it forward.
“Sustainability for our company has transcended not just our products – it has morphed into who we are, what we’re about as an organization, and what we want to achieve going forward,” Kline said.