SunGro Horticulture
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1929
- HeadquartersAgawam, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
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.
SunGro Horticulture firmographics
Firmographics- 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
SunGro Horticulture industry classification
Industry- 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
Where SunGro Horticulture is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Agawam
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices23 records
Markets served
SunGro Horticulture business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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
SunGro Horticulture product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use SunGro Horticulture
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SunGro Horticulture technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
SunGro Horticulture partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SunGro Horticulture competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
SunGro Horticulture social profiles
Digital presenceSunGro Horticulture compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
SunGro Horticulture financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SunGro Horticulture leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
SunGro Horticulture subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
SunGro Horticulture funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SunGro Horticulture M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SunGro Horticulture
What does SunGro Horticulture do?
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.
Is SunGro Horticulture a public or private company?
SunGro Horticulture is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was SunGro Horticulture founded?
SunGro Horticulture was founded in 1929. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is SunGro Horticulture based?
SunGro Horticulture is headquartered in Agawam, United States, in the North America region.
How does SunGro Horticulture make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Growing Media and Growing Mixes are the primary driver. The others are water-Soluble and Controlled-Release Fertilizers.
Who are SunGro Horticulture's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Berger (BM Group), Klasmann-Deilmann, Jiffy Group, Pindstrup Mosebrug, FoxFarm Soil & Fertilizer Company, Lambert Peat Moss and Premier Tech. Profile Products is listed as an others. Scotts Miracle-Gro is listed as a broad incumbent. Espoma Organic is listed as an emerging player.
Does SunGro Horticulture have an API?
No public API is recorded for SunGro Horticulture.
What industry is SunGro Horticulture in?
SunGro Horticulture's product category is Horticultural Growing Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAL, Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production. Its NAICS code is 1114 and its SIC code is 100.