Fayetteville-based hydroponic company GSS Group has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research Matching Grant of $75,000 from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to support research and development on its U.S. Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase II project that kicked off in August 2020.
GSS Group’s HydroFresh™ Tower System
GSS Group’s patent-pending vertical hydroponic tower, the HydroFresh Tower System, is unlike other vertical hydroponic tower systems in its ability to add value to existing farm operations and balance up-front investment against long-term operating costs.
The HydroFresh Tower system will maximize production capacity for existing hydroponic farms growing with horizontal systems like nutrient film technique (NFT). The design uses similar irrigation and drainage components as NFT users and was developed to reduce time spent on transplanting, harvesting, and cleaning.
The HydroFresh Tower system can be used to grow crops such as leafy greens, herbs, and strawberries.
Application of SBIR Matching Grant Funds
Danielle Dozier, CEO and president of GSS Group, shared, “More than anything else, we need to show that this product can work for hydroponic growers. With this award, we can construct a small research greenhouse facility to demonstrate how the product works, what it can grow, and how it can co-exist with existing hydroponic equipment and plumbing set-ups.”
Having a greenhouse facility that allows for product demonstration is essential for commercial success with farmer customers, Dozier believes.
“Farmers are risk-averse. They need to see that a product works before they are willing to purchase it. SBIR grant funds cannot be used to purchase infrastructure, so we needed to use other funds to build a facility that demonstrates the product’s functionality,” said Dozier.
ASBTDC Assistance
Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center staff assisted GSS Group with preparing all of its SBIR Matching Grant application materials for AEDC.
“The ASBTDC is a great resource. We used their staff to edit and review our application to ensure that our proposal met the criteria of the matching grant,” Dozier acknowledged.
Current Status of GSS Group’s Research and Development
“We are so close to finalizing our design for trial-run testing. We anticipate that by September of this year, hydroponic farmers will have the opportunity to test our design by integrating it into their existing operations. We need to test how they respond to the design. Without their support and belief in our product, the project will fail,” Dozier said.
The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t slow the GSS Group team down in their efforts.
“Though this is a very difficult time for farmers, we still see a willingness to work together. COVID has limited the ability to work with schools and some farms in person. Some of our farm participants even went out of business. We had to pivot and work harder and smarter to get more participants. It also increased the need to secure our own research facility so that we would not have to rely on existing greenhouse owners to collaborate with us,” Dozier said.
Dozier is eager for user feedback.
“We are always looking for hydroponic growers, educators, and organizations willing to test our final-stage prototype. We need feedback now more than ever,” she said.
Job Creation
A portion of the company’s SBIR Matching Grant is being used to support two full-time positions. The jobs involve managing the fully automated Controlled Environment Agriculture greenhouse facility and assisting Dozier in accomplishing trial-run tasks.
“Long-term, we are going to need engineers, marketing experts, and manufacturing professionals to get this product to market successfully,” said Dozier.
GSS Group’s USDA SBIR Phase II project is expected to be complete by September of 2022.
Connect with GSS Group here.