SunGro Horticulture

What SunGro Horticulture does

SunGro Horticulture, founded in 1929 and privately held under Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd., is the largest North American producer of horticultural-grade peat moss and the largest distributor of peat and bark-based growing mixes, operating 22 manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada with more than 800 employees and shipping over 70,000 truckloads annually.

The company manufactures soilless growing media — peat, bark, perlite, coconut coir, biochar, and wood fiber — combined with proprietary additives including the patented RESiLIENCE silicon chemistry, packaged under nine sub-brands (Sunshine, Metro-Mix, Pelemix, Black Bear, Polar Bear, Technigro, Black Gold, Fafard, Growers Gold) for both professional greenhouse and nursery operations and the consumer retail/IGC channel. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales of growing media and complementary Technigro water-soluble and controlled-release fertilizers, sold at non-publicly-listed pricing via direct field sales (District Managers), Customer Care Specialists, retail channel partners, an international sales team, and a dedicated golf and sports turf sales channel; the company is also the No. 1 supplier of soilless mixes to North America's top 100 commercial greenhouse and nursery growers and operates complementary Grower Specialist technical advisory and analytic testing services.

In October–November 2022, SunGro expanded into coconut coir substrates and Latin American distribution through the acquisition of Pelemix Americas (including Pelemix Mexico and Pelemix USA), and has built dedicated hemp/cannabis cultivation product lines as a new vertical.

Name

SunGro Horticulture

Legal name

Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd.

Website

https://sungro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SunGro Horticulture is North America's largest producer of horticultural-grade peat moss and distributor of peat and bark-based growing mixes, manufacturing soilless substrates and fertilizers at 22 facilities across the U.S. and Canada for the top 100 commercial greenhouse and nursery growers, cannabis cultivators, golf and turf, IGCs, and consumer retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticultural Growing Media

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production (AFAGAHAL)

Keywords

• Horticultural growing media
• Peat moss production
• Professional greenhouse supplies
• Growing mix manufacturing
• Horticulture fertilizers

Headquarters

HQ city

Agawam

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Growing Media and Growing Mixes: Sun Gro manufactures and sells horticultural growing media products including Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, peat-based mixes, peat and bark-based mixes, bark-based mixes, perlite-free mixes, biochar mixes, wood fiber mixes, and coco coir substrates. Products are sold in various packaging sizes (3.8 cu ft bales, Big Shot 55 cu ft, SunTower 110 cu ft, bulk bags) to professional and retail customers. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales with no recurring subscription component.
2. Water-Soluble and Controlled-Release Fertilizers: Sun Gro sells Technigro brand water-soluble fertilizers and controlled-release fertilizers for indoor and outdoor crops as part of its product portfolio. These fertilizer products complement the growing media line and are sold alongside growing mixes to the same customer base.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SunGro Horticulture manufactures and distributes horticultural-grade growing media and inputs, primarily peat-based and bark-based growing mixes. The company is the largest producer of horticultural-grade peat in North America, operating 22 facilities and shipping more than 70,000 truckloads annually across professional and retail channels.

Product overview

SunGro Horticulture is North America's largest producer of horticultural-grade peat and the largest distributor of peat moss and peat and bark-based growing mixes, offering over 100 professional products under the Sunshine®, Metro-Mix®, Pelemix™, Black Bear™, and Technigro® brands, along with retail brands including Black Gold®, Fafard®, and Sunshine® for consumer markets. The product portfolio centers on soilless growing media including Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, peat and bark-based growing mixes, coconut coir substrates (Pelemix™), biochar mixes (Black Bear®), and wood fiber mixes (Polar Bear®), complemented by Technigro® water-soluble fertilizers and the proprietary RESiLIENCE® silicon additive technology. The company operates 22 facilities across North America and serves the top 100 greenhouse and nursery growers through professional product lines, while also serving retail/consumers through IGC-oriented brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sunshine: Professional and retail growing mix brand offering peat-based mixes, wood fiber mixes, and various growing media products
• Black Gold
• Fafard
• Growers Gold
• Pelemix
• Metro-Mix
• Technigro
• Black Bear
• Polar Bear

Products and services

• Peat Moss Products
• Bark-Based Growing Mixes
• Coconut Coir Products
• Biochar Mixes
• Wood Fiber Mixes
• Water-Soluble Fertilizers (Technigro)
• RESiLIENCE Silicon Additive
• Black Gold Retail Growing Mixes
• Fafard Retail Growing Mixes
• Sunshine Professional Mixes
• Metro-Mix Professional Mixes
• Grower Specialist Technical Services
• Gro Shop Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• Silicon supplementation through RESiLIENCE reduces severity of root rot caused by Pythium in cucumber
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Berger (BM Group): Canadian producer of peat-based growing media and professional substrates serving greenhouse, nursery, and CEA growers across North America. Direct competitor in peat-based mixes with comparable professional product portfolio and customer overlap.
• Klasmann-Deilmann: German-based producer and one of the world's largest manufacturers of peat-based growing media for professional horticulture. Comparable to Sun Gro across product mix, substrate chemistry, and professional greenhouse customer base, with stronger European penetration and comparable peat sustainability pressures.
• Jiffy Group: Norwegian-headquartered producer of growing media, peat pellets, coir products, and propagation substrates. Comparable across substrate chemistries (peat, coir), professional customer base, and global distribution, with stronger propagation product overlap.
• Pindstrup Mosebrug: Danish peat moss producer and growing media manufacturer with a global footprint. Direct competitor in peat-based substrates serving greenhouse and nursery growers, with overlapping professional product lines and similar exposure to peat sustainability regulation.
• FoxFarm Soil & Fertilizer Company: U.S.-based specialty producer of retail-oriented potting soils, growing media, and fertilizers. Direct competitor in branded retail growing media, particularly in the independent garden center channel where Sun Gro's Black Gold and Fafard retail brands compete head-to-head.
• Lambert Peat Moss: Canadian peat moss producer and growing media supplier with operations in New Brunswick and Quebec. Direct competitor in horticultural peat harvesting and peat-based mix distribution for North American professional and retail markets.
• Premier Tech: Canadian-based global producer of peat-based growing media, horticultural substrates, and crop production inputs. Premier Tech is the closest direct competitor to Sun Gro, operating its own peat bogs, manufacturing growing mixes, and serving professional greenhouse growers across North America and Europe.

Others

• Profile Products: U.S.-based manufacturer of specialty soil amendments, engineered substrates (including porous ceramic/Profile Greens Grade), and erosion control products. Adjacent competitor in the professional horticulture substrate category, with overlap in golf/sports turf and greenhouse applications where Sun Gro also serves customers.

Broad incumbents

• Scotts Miracle-Gro: U.S. publicly-traded leader in consumer lawn and garden products, including the Miracle-Gro, Scotts, and Ortho brands. Broad incumbent with retail growing media exposure (potting mixes, soils) overlapping with Sun Gro's Black Gold/Fafard retail lines, but operating across a much wider consumer horticulture portfolio.

Emerging players

• Espoma Organic: U.S.-based organic-focused producer of potting soils, fertilizers, and garden amendments for the IGC channel. Emerging competitor in the natural and organic growing media segment where Sun Gro's OMRI-listed Sunshine and Black Gold products also compete, particularly for organic-focused independent garden centers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sungro
• Facebookfacebook.com/sun-gro-horticulture-206385252832634
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sun-gro-horticulture

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SunGro Horticulture