Vermillion Growers

What Vermillion Growers does

Vermillion Growers Ltd. operates a commercial glass greenhouse in Dauphin, Manitoba that produces Tomatoes on the Vine (TOV) and Roma tomatoes for grocery retailers, restaurants, and local consumers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario. The facility is built around a gutter-connected greenhouse with Priva climate and irrigation computer controls, rainwater collection and recycling (targeting 99% irrigation water reuse), coconut fibre growing medium with drip irrigation, grafting technology, integrated pest management using beneficial insects (ladybugs, lacewings, bumble bees), and CO2 stripping from boiler exhaust to enrich the growing environment. The company follows ISO 22000 Food Safety management standards for grading and traceability, and pursues a research partnership with Assiniboine Community College on rootzone oxygen and pest management.

Vermillion Growers' go-to-market is built on regional food security: selling locally grown, 24-hour farm-to-table tomatoes as a substitute for produce trucked in from Mexico and California. The company is also raising capital through Manitoba's Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit program, offering accredited investors a 45% provincial tax credit plus an 8% annual dividend on preferred shares. To date the company has raised approximately CAD $23 million from private investors and up to CAD $4.2 million from the Province of Manitoba under the Manitoba Works Capital Incentive program, with Phase 1 of the planned 30-acre site (10 acres of growing area plus a 17,500 sq ft warehouse) reaching first flowering in 2023. Headcount is planned at 42 for Phase 1, with subsequent phases intended to expand into medium-sized-business territory (100–499 employees). Leadership is a founder-led team (Founder Lucky Deschauer, Managing Directors Maria Deschauer and Lucky Deschauer, CFO Mark Kohan, VP Engineering Cormac Foster) supported by an advisory board including Dr. Poonam Singh and Art Gagnon.

Name

Vermillion Growers

Legal name

Vermillion Growers Ltd.

Website

https://vermilliongrowers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vermillion Growers operates a commercial glass greenhouse in Dauphin, Manitoba producing Tomatoes on the Vine and Roma tomatoes for grocery retailers, restaurants, and consumers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario, using Priva-controlled precision agriculture and 24-hour farm-to-table delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Greenhouse Tomato Production

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Greenhouse tomato production
• Controlled environment agriculture
• Fresh produce distribution
• Commercial greenhouse farming
• Local food production

Headquarters

HQ city

Dauphin

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tomato Product Sales: Growing and selling Tomatoes on the Vine (TOV) and Roma tomatoes to grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario with 24-hour farm-to-table delivery
2. Investment Capital: Raising capital through preferred share issuance under Manitoba's Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit program, targeting accredited investors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vermillion Growers operates a 30-acre (Phase One 10-acre) commercial glass greenhouse in Dauphin, Manitoba, producing Tomatoes on the Vine (TOV) and Roma Tomatoes using precision-controlled environment agriculture. The company grows, grades, packages, and distributes fresh tomatoes to grocery retailers, restaurants, and consumers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario, delivering from farm to table within 24 hours.

Product overview

Vermillion Growers operates a single-site commercial greenhouse facility in Dauphin, Manitoba. The company produces two tomato varieties—Tomatoes on the Vine (TOV) and Roma Tomatoes—using state-of-the-art controlled-environment agriculture. The operation utilizes Priva climate and irrigation computer systems for precision agriculture, and operates a 250x70 foot warehouse for grading, packaging, and distribution. Produce is delivered from farm to table within 24 hours to markets in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tomatoes on the Vine (TOV) Premium vine-ripened tomatoes grown in a controlled greenhouse environment, known for sweet, juicy flavor and rich texture. Picked only when perfectly ready and shipped from greenhouse to table within 24 hours. Targeted at grocery retailers, restaurants, food service, and local consumers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northwestern Ontario.
• Roma Tomatoes Dense, meaty tomatoes with fewer seeds and lower moisture than slicing tomatoes, ideal for sauces, salsas, roasting, and slow-cooked dishes. Firmness allows them to hold shape during cooking. Targeted at grocery retailers, restaurants, food service, and consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of irrigation water recycled through rainwater collection and condensation systems
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Greenhouse Co.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 4 May 2021The Greenhouse Co. serves as general contractor for the greenhouse project with over 100 years of combined management team experience in designing and building greenhouse projects. They completed the 17,500 square foot warehouse and are instrumental in completing the state-of-the-art glass greenhouse.
• Assiniboine Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2020Memorandum of Understanding signed for research partnership. Dr. Poonam Singh from ACC's Applied Research department conducts local research including studying how additional oxygen in the rootzone affects plant efficiency and productivity, and how pest management can improve plant health and maximize yield.
• Horizon BuilderscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 June 2019Horizon Builders out of Brandon, Manitoba signed on as General Contractor to oversee the entire site build including the warehouse structure and greenhouse facility. They played a key role in foundation work and initial construction objectives despite challenging weather conditions.
• Eng-Tech Consulting Ltd.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 June 2019Eng-Tech Consulting Ltd. out of Winnipeg performed environmental assessment and was responsible for earthwork design. Vermillion signed a contract with them to manage earthwork construction.
• WERI (Winnipeg Environmental and Remediation Inc.)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWERI completed backfill of the warehouse area and continues to complete topsoil stripping and work on retention ponds. They transitioned immediately to the next construction phase after Horizon Builders completed foundation work.
• Dr. Poonam SinghminorOthersFaculty member at Assiniboine Community College specializing in Applied Research. Added to Vermillion Growers Advisory Board to provide expertise in greenhouse research and food sustainability.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Gotham Greens: Urban greenhouse operator producing leafy greens, herbs, and tomatoes in climate-controlled facilities across the US. Similar tech-driven greenhouse model with strong grocery-retail channel focus.
• Revol Greens: US greenhouse grower operating climate-controlled facilities in Minnesota and Texas producing leafy greens and tomatoes. Similar controlled-environment agriculture model with regional grocery distribution strategy.
• Little Leaf Farms: US greenhouse produce grower specializing in locally grown leafy greens and tomatoes. Comparable controlled-environment agriculture model focused on regional/24-hour delivery to East Coast retailers.
• BrightFarms: Indoor/greenhouse grower of locally produced salad greens and tomatoes sold through grocery retailers. Comparable controlled-environment agriculture model and 'locally grown' positioning targeting supermarket fresh-produce shelves.

Broad incumbents

• Mastronardi Produce (Sunset): Largest North American greenhouse tomato producer headquartered in Kingsville, Ontario. Operates a multi-decade network of glass greenhouses producing premium tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers under the Sunset brand; deep grocery relationships set the competitive benchmark Vermillion must meet.

Direct peers

• GoodLeaf Farms: Canadian vertical/greenhouse leafy-greens producer operating controlled-environment facilities in Ontario. Direct comparator for Canadian precision-agriculture produce with grocery-retail distribution focus.
• Red Sun Farms: Greenhouse vegetable producer with operations in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Grows tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers under glass, serving retail and foodservice customers across North America.
• Pure Flavor: Canadian greenhouse producer of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers with distribution across North America. Operates controlled-environment agriculture facilities similar in scale and technology approach to Vermillion.
• Windset Farms: Canadian greenhouse vegetable producer based in Delta, British Columbia, growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce. Comparable Canadian operator with year-round controlled-environment production selling to grocery chains.
• NatureSweet: Vertically integrated greenhouse tomato grower known for premium snacking tomatoes. Competes in the same premium fresh-tomato category Vermillion targets, with branded retail presence across North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vermilliongrow
• Facebookfacebook.com/VermillionGreenhouses

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Vermillion Growers