Oasthouse Ventures Expands to the U.S.
March 12, 2025 On March 10, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Oasthouse Ventures Ltd., a sustainable business development firm in the United Kingdom specializing in low-carbon greenhouses, will invest $104.8 million to build its first controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operation in the U.S.
Over the next three years, the company will produce and package more than 45 million pounds of tomatoes to distribute to major retailers throughout the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. With a focus on sustainability, the company plans to source more than 31,000 tons of Virginia-grown hardwood residuals from local sawmills to heat its greenhouses. The project will create 118 new jobs.
The project represents the first phase of an envisioned three-part buildout in Southwest Virginia. This includes a 65-acre greenhouse at Wildwood Commerce Park focused on tomatoes, a supporting packaging house, and a daycare facility to serve employees.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Mount Rogers Regional Partnership, Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority, and Carroll County to secure the project for Virginia. Gov. Youngkin approved a $550,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund, as well as a $250,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund to assist the county with this project.
Support for Oasthouse Ventures’ job creation is provided through the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, which ranked first in the Customized Workforce Training Program in the U.S. by Business Facilities in 2024. The program, created by VEDP in collaboration with higher education partners, accelerates new facility startups by delivering recruitment and training services that are customized to a company’s products, processes, equipment, standards, and culture. All program services are provided at no cost to qualified new and expanding companies as an incentive to create new jobs.
For more information about the project, go here: https://www.growingcareersva.com/