Founded 12 years ago in Montreal by two female entrepreneurs, Concentric hit the ground running with biological inputs developed for improved harvest consistency, quality and yield in a variety of crops.
Over the years the product line, which started as a microbial blend that closely replicated the makeup of healthy compost, has expanded, as has the roster of crops that are seeing positive results from the biological and plant inputs produced by Concentric.
Among the edibles benefiting from the company’s product line are onions, and a 2018 trial conducted in with Qualls Agriculture Laboratory in Ephrata, WA, showed Concentric’s IN-M1 to increase yields and size while decreasing culls.
Labeled as Inocucor Garden Solution in the United States and Synergro in Canada, IN—M1 is part of what Concentric says is its “complete line of biological and plant nutrient inputs that are safe for people, protect our natural resources and increase agriculture’s potential to feed the world. The company has over 60 biological and plant nutrient products registered across Canada and in 38 U.S. states.”
The founders, Dr. Margaret Bywater-Ekegard and Ananda Lynn Fitzsimmons, retired from the company in 2017, and Concentric’s current leadership team is credentialed in business management, biological and plant nutrient R&D and product development, agronomy, sales and commercial development, regulatory affairs and corporate finance.
CEO Donald R. Marvin joined the company in 2014, and over the past five years he has implemented a successful financing strategy and corporate development initiatives “that have propelled Concentric to a place among agtech’s top performers,” Concentric said.
Chief Technology Officer Shawn Semones is a well-known research and development director with more than 18 years’ experience at Novozymes Biologicals, Inc., where he helped build its BioAg R&D Application Division.
Jarrett Chambers is Concentric’s Chief Commercial Officer and is a leading expert in the interaction of nutrients, and the integration of metabolites and bioactivators, in plant physiology. Jarrett also co-founded ATP Nutrition, a wholly owned subsidiary of Concentric and one of the largest plant nutrient suppliers in Canada.
More information about these and other members of Concentric’s leadership team can be found at this link: https://www.concentricag.com/concentrics-story/leadership-team/
Concentric operates from three locations, with its 33,000-square-foot headquarters and commercial office located in Centennial, CO, in the Denver Metro area. The company’s R&D operations are split between its 20,000-square foot Technical Center of Excellence in Montreal and its wholly owned subsidiary, ATP Nutrition, which occupies a 23,000-square-foot R&D and commercial operation in Oak Bluff, Manitoba, Canada.
Because OnionBusiness.com is onion-centric, we asked Concentric to explain in more detail how Inocucor Garden Solution, which will soon be known everywhere as Synergro, and any other products our readers would like to read about.
Information provided by COO Chambers indicated that Synergro is a biological product borne of microbial technology “that helps sustain robust plant growth, impart vigor and enhance yield for a broad spectrum of specialty crops, including onions.” And the field trial results bear out that claim, showing results at the recommended treatment of .25 gallons 2x per month to be “yields 5,440 lbs./acre higher than untreated (fields), or a yield increase of 5.9 percent.” Moreover, the trial showed a “reduction in cull amount by 10.6 percent, which can be attributed to a combination of reducing undersize bulbs as well as reducing defects…”
Chambers also told us, “We also offer a complete line of plant nutrient products for onions based on the goals of the producer via ATP Nutrition. The product line was designed to be used either as a starter, drip or in-season foliar application. Convey—one of our two highest performing products in this line—drives early season rooting while optimizing nutrient use efficiency. The second main product is Laser CaB, a proprietary nutrient formulation, applied at bulb formation, to improve sizing and quality of the onions.”
The company’s product development vision “has always been to create a product suite that combines proprietary biostimulant technology with science-based plant nutrients to meet the needs of the crop,” Concentric told us. To that end, Concentric is “developing a unique suite of products that combine macronutrients, micronutrients, and biologicals into a ready-to-use product for growers. Products will be formulated based on plant type, geography and soil conditions.”
Additionally, we learned, Concentric has announced its partnership with AgroCares to offer real-time soil diagnostics to broadacre growers in Western Canada. This technology will provide growers with information about their fields to help them make an informed choice for their nutrition plan.” The company has plans to expand the real-time tech to other regions, Concentric said.
For more information on Concentric and its onion production products, you can contact sales reps across the country.
In the Pacific Northwest, call Rich Rasmussen at 509-969-3338. Bill Schwoerer handles the California Central Coast and can be reached at 805-235-8337. The Central Valley in Cali is handled by Craig Vossler, whose number is 831-229-5753. Southern Cali and Arizona is handled by David Pratt, who can be reached at 760-550-8877. And Scott Houston is in the Southeast, reachable at 850-591-3900. In all other areas, email info@concentricag.com.
