Indoor farming company BrightFarms announced the opening of its first greenhouse in Texas, bringing its locally grown leafy greens to the South Central and Southwest for the first time. Building on the recent unveiling of its Illinois greenhouse, the Lorena, Texas site is the second of three regional hubs BrightFarms is opening in 2024.

"Texans deserve the freshest, highest-quality produce, and we're thrilled to deliver just that," says Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms. "With our greenhouse expertise and cutting-edge technology, we're bringing year-round access to fresh greens to the Lone Star State. As proud members of the GO TEXAN Program, we're committed to not only providing top-tier produce but also supporting the growth of Texas agriculture."

The Lorena greenhouse, which will cover 1.5 million sq. ft. upon completion, is designed with cutting-edge cooling technology such as KUBO's Ultra-Clima system, enabling BrightFarms to create and sustain optimal growing conditions year-round, regardless of the Texas heat or external climate conditions. The new facility is expected to create more than 250 job opportunities for Lorena and the surrounding Texas triangle area.

Cox Enterprises is a family-owned company dedicated to empowering people to build a better future for the next generation. In service to that mission, it became the majority investor in BrightFarms in October 2020 and fully acquired the company in August 2021. Cox Farms, Cox Enterprises' venture into controlled environment agriculture, became North America's largest greenhouse operator in November 2024, surpassing 700 acres across its brands, BrightFarms and Mucci Farms, the company says.