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• Valcent Products (EU) Ltd
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Environmental Technology

Somerset-born Chris Bradford has certainly led an interesting life.  In a career that has spanned more than four decades he has travelled the globe - from a long stint in the US to Peru, South Africa and the Pacific Rim, before making the move to Launceston to establish the European arm of Valcent - a North American plant-technology enterprise.

Chris' journey with Valcent began in 2005.  After years spent as a consultant in the agriculture and food industry, Chris was back in the UK and working as a business advisor when Sweetwater Capital Corp, a privately owned Canadian venture capital company, asked if he would set up a UK subsidiary for one of its clients - Valcent Products Inc.

Chris says 'The opportunity to work with Valcent was too good to miss. We incorporated the UK subsidiary, Valcent Products (EU) Limited, in August 2006, and the past four years have certainly proved to be a challenging but highly rewarding experience.'

The most exciting product in the Valcent range, and that which has garnished the greatest amount of industry enthusiasm, has to be VertiCrop.  Placing at a very respectable 16^th in Time Magazine's best inventions of 2009, this hydroponic, high density vertical growing system has the potential to meet the ever-increasing consumer demand for locally grown fresh foods while drastically reducing consumption of the planet's resources.  The system grows plants in rotating rows on top of one another.  The rotation gives plants a precise amount of light and nutrients and the vertical stacking enables the use of much less water - up to 95% less than conventional farming. 

'In times of escalating food prices, increasing pressure on water, land and energy and growing concerns over food miles, this is a system that cares for the environment and could also have a major impact on the pocket of everyone from the farmer through to the supermarket customer,' says Chris. 'It's attractive from the point of view of the grower wishing to maximize existing turnover, and also for consumers who aim to reduce their food miles by buying locally but are currently restricted by limited supply and retail cost.'  

Since Valcent (eu) was given the full mandate to develop VertiCropT in January 2009, many innovations and developments have taken place.  Graham Dunling, a lifetime commercial grower and Valcent employee, made a number of crucial modifications in mid 2009 which saved on water and mess whilst encouraging further plant growth.  These improvements paved the way for the product's launch on the 30^th of September 2009 at Paignton Zoo in Devon.

Using the VertiCrop system, the zoo has the potential to produce over 11,000 heads of lettuce as well as other crops the animals enjoy including red chard, mizuna, mixed leaves, various herbs, edible flowers, wheat grass and barley.   The zoo is expected to save thousands on animal food each year - their annual lettuce bill alone has dropped by £18,000.  As well as saving on costs, the animals can receive a more varied diet of nutrient rich foods that have generally been picked less than an hour beforehand. 

Interest in VertiCrop has spanned the globe with enquiries and orders coming from the Far East, India, Australasia and the Americas.  Bobby Kennedy Junior was so impressed by the product that he now sits on the Valcent board of directors.  Seven big American cities are looking at installing VertiCrop in places such as schools, academic institutions and the roof tops of sky scrapers.   The US Department of Defence has also expressed interest - it's almost impossible to grow fresh fruit and vegetables in the hostile environment of Iraq and the food miles and cost (both monetarily and in lost nutrition) of flying food in from the U.S is high.

Other Valcent products include Tomorrow Garden: 'It's an easy-to-use complete plant-growing kit, aimed at amateur gardeners of all ages and levels of expertise,' Chris explains. The attractive package contains 'plantlets' micro propagated from tiny pieces of plant tissue in Valcent's Launceston laboratories. These are sealed in a gas-permeable plastic bag (allowing air to circulate without any contamination from outside) together with a nutrient gel, which feeds the plantlet as it develops its root system. The plantlets can live happily in the bags for up to six months, guaranteeing a long shelf-life in garden centres and gift-shops.   The range includes carnivorous plants, aloe vera and fern.  At present the kits are available at Cornwall's Eden Project, with whom Valcent is discussing possible collaboration on future projects. 

Locating Valcent's UK base in Cornwall has proved a sound decision, Chris says. 'We're in the company of many other businesses and organisations who share an underlying ethos to better our environment and who take a welcome interest in the products we're developing. It's also a great place to live, so we've had no problem attracting and recruiting a team committed to our goal."  Launceston is close to airports in both Plymouth and Exeter and Newquay Cornwall airport is just 40 miles away with eight flights a day to London.

Valcent currently employs 11 members of staff, including three plant science specialists and two horticultural technicians. Supporting Chris in his role as managing director are a sales & marketing manager and a production & technical services manager. 'As production expands, we'll be recruiting more technicians to assist with project development,' says Chris.   They are also opening up a Polish office in April 2010.

Cornwall Pure Business (now known as InvestinCornwall) has worked closely with Valcent since it arrived in the county, setting up introductions with useful business links. 'I felt that a vital part of our business plan, was to utilise local resources and services wherever possible,' says Chris.  Valcent has engaged the services of several Cornish companies since their arrival in the County including Seed Brand Communications, The Marketing and PR Company in Launceston and Parc Signs of St Austell.

"Our location in Launceston's Pennygillam Industrial Estate is ideal, with many neighbouring businesses providing us with essential support services. For Valcent, Cornwall has proved an excellent location for our long-term business strategy to not only flourish, but bear fruit."