Diverisified Holdings News

Tried Green Tomatoes

A Revolutionary Greenhouse Combined with a New Power Plant Could be the Wave of the Future

By R.J. King
dbusiness Nov 2007

While many business leaders wouldn’t want a power plant built next to their operations, Tony Soave jumped at the opportunity. Soave, a Detroit entrepreneur who controls a $1.6-billion empire that includes metal recycling, car dealerships, real-estate development, and beer distributorships, operates a 50-acre greenhouse in Kingsville, Ontario (25 miles southeast of Windsor) where he grows gourmet tomatoes.

“The first time I heard that the government of Ontario wanted to build a power plant next to my greenhouse, I thought, “Boy, this is an interesting idea,” says Soave, owner of Soave Hydroponics Co., which supplies more than 2.1 million cases of tomatoes annually to grocery stores and restaurants in and around metro Detroit. “The more I heard about it, the more excited I became.”

As it turns out, the so called tri-generation facility – the plant burns natural gas to generate heat, electricity, and CO2 – will save Soave plenty of money. But the Ontario province gains advantages, as well. For example, Soave’s greenhouse will act as a cooling unit for the power plant’s engines, which transmit electricity to approximately 5,000 homes.

The CO2, meanwhile, will be consumed by the tomato plants in the greenhouse. That’s on top of other innovative growing practices, including raised troughs, run-off fertilizer recycling, computerized louvers and climate controls, as well as biological pest management. All of which results in tomatoes that are high in nutrients. The tomatoes are also pesticide- and herbicide-free, and have a long shelf life.

As the discussions progressed – the power plant will open by year’s end – Soave invested around $20 million into the plant and signed a 20-year agreement to provide electricity to Ontario.“ We believe this deal will provide us with the platform to add other greenhouses and power plants,” he says.

The Bee Plan
Soave’sgreenhouse is the most technologically advanced business he operates. For example, computer monitors inside these beehives monitor the rate of pollination.