Hydrobuilder Holdings Appoints Will Ford as Vice President of Commercial Sales

Leading Omni-channel Seller of Specialty Agriculture and Hydroponics Equipment and Supplies Adds Industry Veteran to its Leadership Team

PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hydrobuilder Holdings LLC (“Hydrobuilder Holdings” or “the Company”) a leading omni-channel retailer of specialty agriculture and hydroponics equipment and supplies, today announced the appointment of Will Ford as Vice President of Commercial Sales. Mr. Ford brings significant experience in the hydroponics industry to the Company and has learned the ropes of cultivation and production through first-hand know-how in large-scale outdoor, indoor, and greenhouse cultivation.

“We are delighted that Will is joining us as our VP of Commercial Sales. For more than a decade he has helped build and scale hydroponic businesses which has resulted in significant growth in both their sales and profitability and ultimately led to accretive transactions. We believe that his passion for this industry and well-defined skillset will be invaluable to Hydrobuilder Holdings as we seek to provide commercial growers and home gardeners with the highest level of service, product selection, education and value. We enthusiastically welcome him to our team,” said Markus Hockenson, Chief Executive Officer.

In 2010, Mr. Ford joined Vermicrop Organics as Vice President of Commercial Sales. In this role, he contributed to growing the company to a size large enough that resulted in a calculated merger with General Hydroponics, which as a combined entity was then sold in 2015 to Hawthorne Gardening Company, a subsidiary of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. Mr. Ford then became the National Commercial Sales Director for Hawthorne—which at the time was the combined entity of General Hydroponics, Vermicrop Organics, Gavita, and Botanicare.

In 2017, he joined The GrowBiz, an expansive West Coast chain of hydroponic stores, as Vice President of Sales. After dramatically increasing sales and profitability, Mr. Ford was promoted to Chief of Operations. During his tenure, he planned and participated in the strategic sale of The Growbiz in 2020 to GrowGeneration Corp. (NASDAQ: GRWG), where he most recently served as Zone Director, Commercial Sales for the West Coast.

Mr. Ford holds a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

About Hydrobuilder Holdings LLC

Hydrobuilder Holdings LLC was formed in December 2020 on the basis of a “three-pillar” omni-channel strategy in the specialty agriculture and hydroponics equipment and supply industry. The Company is led Markus Hockenson, Chief Executive Officer, and Avi Levine, Chief Financial Officer, both of whom bring extensive digital and retail experience, and a proven track record of driving revenue, earnings growth and value creation at private-equity owned companies. Since its formation, Hydrobuilder Holdings has successfully closed three separate transactions: Hydrobuilder.com, GreenCoast Hydroponics, and Elevated Equipment Supply.