NEW YORK & MONTVALE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BrightFarms, Inc. and The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) today announced an exclusive partnership to deliver the freshest local produce to A&P’s family of stores. A&P has signed the grocery industry’s third long-term produce purchase agreement (PPA), becoming the only retailer of BrightFarms’ Brooklyn-grown produce from the world’s largest rooftop farm.
BrightFarms finances, builds and operates greenhouses at or near supermarkets, bringing the farmer’s market to the supermarket. The company is responding to consumers’ increasing demand for local produce and growing interest in connecting with farmers and producers. The multi-acre farm, a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse, will be built on 100,000 square feet of rooftop space, establishing a new national model for urban agriculture.
The partnership between A&P and BrightFarms confirms that a new produce supply chain—one that is thousands of miles shorter—is well under way. The BrightFarms’ Brooklyn greenhouse is the world’s largest rooftop farm, growing up to one million pounds of local produce per year. Now customers will have the opportunity to purchase local lettuce, tomato, and herb varieties at their neighborhood A&P, The Food Emporium, Pathmark or Waldbaum’s in the New York metropolitan area.
“Partnering with BrightFarms is a phenomenal opportunity to provide our Customers with the freshest, local, and most sustainable produce in the supermarket aisle,” says Sam Martin, President and CEO of A&P. “We are committed to being the number one food and drug store in the neighborhoods we serve, and this partnership gets us one step closer to achieving that goal.”
A&P’s new marketing campaign reflects its commitment to providing better products and shortening its supply chain. Under the campaign, entitled “Shopping Just Got a Whole Lot Better,” A&P is adapting each store to reflect the neighborhoods it serves. A&P is working to increase the availability of local foods and improve the shopping experience at every store.
“A&P is a superb partner because it shares our dedication to being good stewards of the communities it serves,” says Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms CEO. “We are excited to deliver quality produce that is grown and sold within the same community at an incredible value to our northeastern neighbors.”
A greenhouse groundbreaking event is scheduled for September 2012. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for the opening of the greenhouse, in the first quarter of 2013.
About BrightFarms
BrightFarms grows local produce, nationwide. By financing, building, and operating greenhouse farms at or near grocery retailers, BrightFarms eliminates time, distance, and costs from the produce supply chain. BrightFarms local produce is fresher, more flavorful, and better for the environment, enabling grocers to change their produce supply chain in a way that improves the planet and their profits.
About A&P
Founded in 1859, A&P is one of the nation's first supermarket chains. The company operates 320 stores in six states under the following trade names: A&P, Best Cellars, Food Basics, The Food Emporium, Pathmark, Superfresh and Waldbaum's.