Our Story
Hi, I am Lee Seward and I founded Gro-connect.com in July 2019, My journey began with a task from a Client to source 700+ acres in early July for the planting of seedlings. Yes, wrong time of the year to be sourcing farm land! I beat the bushes and finally connected with numerous plots spread out in the valley of Oregon. During my bootstrapping, I learned how high tech and close knit the Farm/Food Industry was. I am still enamoured by the equipment and operation scale, yet even more enamored by the business side of Agriculture.
So much high-tech equipment, ingenuity in design, and then fundamentals of a top down business pyramid instead of bottom up.
The economics in Food differs from most businesses where this is a top down structure. The cost of Produce, Fruit, Meat, etc. varies slightly to consumers compared to the cost of Farming. If you were building something, you would add up all of your costs, add profit, then create the sale price. Food is not this way as the prices would be out of touch for consumers.
My past ventures, I have automated service Industries, created and managed over $100MM+ yearly revenue and 500+ employees. I took my processes and programs and adapted them to numerous situations and challenges with positive results. This Industry is challenged with many factors and the worst factor is the amount of cost and labor to produce the food we eat. This is not an issue with just the US but Globally. Besides all of the obstacles provided from mother nature, economic policies, cost of inputs, fertilizer, transportation, etc., the cost of the finished product has a cap and forces you to work operation cost backwards.
The Problem
Farming/Growing today has changed and not changed since 1980’s. What changed was the amount of production, and this has increased significantly since the 80’s. The amount of Farms has also decreased since the 80’s. With increased production, decreased Farms, why are Farmers making less today than the 80’s? You know the factors faced in Agriculture, Politics, Trade wars, Environmental, Labor shortages, Escalating Operating Expense, and a ceiling on what the actual final price can be.
Buyers want to pay less than Terminal Market Prices, including their own commission. Transportation is costing as much or more than the product being transported. When you remove the expenses, include the expense of Growing or Raising Food, the balance is negative costing the Farmer/Grower Money. Imagine all of that work and then lose money, while the Buyer has a set commission. This is all before the Restaurant or Grocery store purchases.
Covid exasperated the limited connections businesses had been operating with at the time of the shutdowns. Prior to Covid, Businesses started reducing Buyer or Supplier pools for various reasons. Some Companies focused on specific segments of the Industry. When something happens to that targeted area they have no business. Others opt to work under larger companies for longevity security, later dealing with price oppression.
This is a relationship building Industry and when you reduce your pool of Buyers or Sellers, you limit your Business. Risk is avoided with options, more Buyers or Sellers reduce risk.
Limited or close knit business does not buffer you from negative impact. It actually creates an opportunity to manifest and hurt you when you least expect it.
The Solution
The solution to improving revenue and profitability while also remediating risk and loss is to increase your purchase power and expand your sales base. What that means is to have access to more Buyers and more Sellers constantly.
How is this accomplished?
Using our Online Marketplace, you can sell your Produce-Fruit-Meat-Nuts-Flowers, (anything in Agriculture) at Wholesale Portions. You are selling the same products the same way, but from a central online Marketplace. Buyers are able to purchase products quickly and easily at anytime of the day or week.
What about the quality and consistency of the products?
The products listed are high quality, fresh, and the consistency you expect. Every Grower/Shipper, Farmer, Rancher, Distributor, Exporter, posts the items they have to sell with photos and all of the certifications/documents so you have access to the quantity, sizes, grading, pricing, shipping, etc. at your fingertips.
How can you Buy or Sell online?
Let’s think about this question. Currently over the past 10 years, cars are purchased online, homes for sale or rent are online, vacations, grocery deliveries, restaurant deliveries, and even a few Marketplaces have entered the space besides us. You have been purchasing products over the phone, faxed documentation, reviewed contact lists and cold called from local organizations that you joined. You may have met suppliers or buyers at trade shows, and even traveled to fields and oversaw operations.
Why can this be purchased online?
Because it is the same process you have been doing by phone, for years already except, everything is visual, transparent online quickly and easily.
How are we different?
Gro-connect.com is different than our competitors in many ways;
- We measure our success by creating & maintaining your success
- We are not your competitors, we do not sell or buy
- We help you sell or buy
- We will not let organizations or individuals on our site anonymously
- We do not purchase Wholesale Distributors
- We do not sell to Consumers, but you can
- We do not purchase Farms
- We do not Plant or Raise Product
- We do not set your pricing
- We do not limit quantity
- We are advocates for our members,
- We pre-screen everyone prior to allowing access to assure you are dealing with only real people in the business
- We are marketing and promoting for you
- We help you source unique products that are difficult to find
- We help you sell and move your product
- We open doors as if you were in the biggest trade show
- We connect you with decision makers
- We reduce your operation time and with that expense
- We are affordable and we offer you advantages over your competitors
- Shipping, delivery, is included with our site
- MOQ, FOB, CIF, CRF, FTL, LTL Oversea, Air, is set by how you sell or how you want to buy
- Purchase orders, Credit Cards are ways to pay
- RFQ, Price List Consolidation are standard
- Direct Messaging is standard
- We offer Track-n-Trace Blockchain
- Customized Procurement Requirements where we build a private marketplace per your needs
- We have the ability to fully automate your restocking per your needs, qty, size, timeline, location, etc
- We are accessible and offer support to everyone
You can be assured that we oversee every transaction, All users are qualified prior to obtaining access. We Guarantee every transaction and if an issue arises, we are involved in the restitution.
Using Gro-connect.com is realtionship building, affording you numerous options, with a team you can rely on. Your success is our success and we want to make you successful.
Contact us for more information
info@gro-connect.com
1-347-918-7437 US Office
1917 2326265 Whatsapp