In 2018, Bradley Nattrass’ company urban-gro needed a bridge loan to continue operations. Based on his belief in the company, Nattrass stepped up to make it happen.
“To secure the funds necessary and afford the company the runway we needed to perform, I stepped up and personally guaranteed an $8 million line of credit,” Nattrass said. “Based on my deep-rooted belief in the company and our team, this move allowed us to deliver strong consecutive financial quarters and ultimately, attract an investment bank. One year later, that institution raised urban-gro $62 million and uplisted us to the Nasdaq.”
Nattrass is chairman and CEO of urban-gro, an integrated professional services and design-build firm. “We offer value-added architectural, engineering, and construction management solutions to the Controlled Environment Agriculture, industrial, healthcare and other commercial sectors,” the company said.
Nattrass led the company through multiple successful mergers and acquisitions last year, including the acquisition of Texas-based engineering firm Dawson Van Orden (DVO) Inc., the acquisition of a Colorado-based construction firm Emerald Construction Management Inc. (Emerald C.M.), and a partnership with Good Lettuce Company for a cultivation facility. In the second half of 2022 alone, urban-gro penned more than $70 million in design-build contracts with key clients from the vertical food farming, cannabis and industrial spaces.
The company also expanded its footprint and now operates in seven countries outside the United States, including Israel, Germany, Portugal, Greece, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and North Macedonia. The company sees opportunity for more expansion in Europe in the future, Nattrass said.
“Diversification has proven to be key in weathering the changing market conditions and cannabis regulatory delays in various important U.S. states,” Nattrass said. “Over the past year, urban-gro’s acquisitions have helped us diversify the sectors in which we operate, expanding beyond just cannabis as well.”
This is the second time Nattrass has been named a titan, and he recognizes the importance of helping support and develop the next generation of titans and giving back to the community.
Urban-gro has partnered with Teens for Food Justice, a New York City-based nonprofit that is galvanizing a youth-led food justice movement in underserved communities. The organization builds highcapacity vertical farming at schools, where it trains young people on maintaining such farms and serving as local sources of fresh food.
Urban-gro partnered with Teens for Food Justice and opened a hydroponic farm at Bruce Randolph High School in Denver. In 2022, the farm produced 4,230 pounds of food and donated 3,584 pounds to community partners. Produce from this farm fed 347 students and engaged more than 150 students in STEM classes and extracurricular advocacy for food justice.
