Tom Piini , father of Micro Grow has been in the horticultural industry for over 40 year . Raised in the agricultural heartland of Salinas , CA his fellowship Micro Grow designs and builds environmental controls for indoor maturation . Piini is well known in the industry for his sharp mind with electal and software design , merry temperament and fighting back from a serious wellness challenge .
His offset in the business was n’t particularly distinctive . Upon asking him how he got into this sphere , he started laughing . “ It was the night before my twenty-second birthday , I was making a support doing a lightshow for a rock and peal dance band and toy the harmonica . ” At that time , Tom also work on a regular basis as a mental synthesis proletarian , and had some other jobs
Entering the nursery industry“That night , my roommate introduced me to a valet in the bar . He lease me as electrician supporter ” . That gentleman’s gentleman was Ted Nishizono , who at that prison term worked for the largest glasshouse builder , IBG with offices in California , San José , Canada and Germany . “ That was my first showdown with the greenhouse piece of work , and a little later I stop the striation , ” Tom tells .
Tom Piini and Ted Nishizono
So why give up the showbizz ? Tom says he took to the greenhouse concern right forth . After working with IBG and another company he struck out on his own with Micro Grow , base in Temecula , CA . In the early eighties , Micro Grow was the very first company to build a computerized environmental dominance system of rules .
“ We first give it at a trade show in San José , everyone was appear at us like , what is that matter ? ” The processor was very big and dense , the same one could now fit on the lead of your finger . “ It was very ‘ wild , unfounded west ’ to do anything with a processor back then , ” laughs Tom .
“ We have always tried to design our dominance product around what a agriculturist needs , not what we think he take ” , says Tom . There have never been any outside investor in the fellowship . “ We do n’t want to be answering to a lot of investors . ” say Tom , still embracing the pioneer intent . Micro Grow does mastery for institutional project , and commercial operations as well , including cannabis . “ That ’s a young aspect to the line . ”
employee and distributorsTom finds it very significant to treat his employees well . “ A company should never forget what its employees contribute to the mesa . I can only do so much ; I rely on my workforce . ” That was never more clear to Tom then in 2014 when he became gravely ominous . complication from a back operation had Tom hospitalise clinging to life sentence . “ I thought that was it . ” He survived but can only take the air curt distance so now Tom on his galvanizing scooter is a staple at horticulture trade wind shows . “ When I recover , I had to build Micro Grow back .
The fellowship takes a cruise every year , survive off for a weekend , “ and we have the best Christmas party . ” Microgrow has 28 employees . “ This is a good size for us , we are not big but we are not small any longer , too , and we do n’t want a whole HR department . ”
Tom Piini with Daphne Brogdon , his full cousin and Sales rep
Especially when a part of your staff is family and Quaker . In the last few age as Tom and Micro Grow have fall to their vitality he has lend some intimate face . Jerry Halamuda , who co - created Color Spot , is now his partner . “ Jerry was one of the first people I ever met in the line of work . It ’s great to finally work together . ”
Two of Tom ’s children , and his cousin also work out with Micro Grow . “ My stave is my family , but some of them really are , " laugh Tom . “ I ’m also proud that we plan and make everything right here in California paying people a living wage . ”
Tom also value the bond with distributor who have stayed firm and those who have yield “ Those are the Guy who add us the sales . ” A part of their business is build cabinets for competitor . The company always hear to have an overall open friendliness with competitors , if they have a big control organization for instance , they get cite for it . “ That ’s how we are able-bodied to keep a reputation of one of the honest control companies out there . ”
COVID-19Covid -19 means some of the employees are working from home , as is he . “ We ’re drafting up all kinds of new systems and sending those out to customer , we have the time now , and we want to keep our railroad engineer ferment . For the most part we ’re able-bodied to keep everyone employed . ” The companionship was in the middle of a job at Stanford University when the stoppage at house order came down . This line was put on hold , but should resume mid May .
Micro Grow also has electrical contractors , so , at least in California , they normally do the complete electrical installation . “ We just found surplus space and continue ferment . Since we make our own stuff and nonsense , we did n’t have a hiccup in our supplying chain . Just had to buy more helping hand sanitizer . ”
ChangesThe changes that Tom has go steady over his professional career are mostly about the motivation for new equipment . Micro Grow is airless to bring to market a few newfangled products that will take the company into the cloud . “ One of the thing we ’ve done , one of the new aspects of glasshouse , are horizontal airflow volcano , a duo of years ago . ”
Before , the sports fan jets were big and bulky , as opposed to the small ones now . “ It prompted us to tot simple adaptation . ” Cannabis is a novel element to horticulture as well . “ Right before California proceed sound with rec . that was 50 % of our business . We still work with some good growing operations , but the economics of cannabis are hard in California due to the taxes and rule . But , it has brought some new energy . ”
That is partially responsible for another variety he sees . People used hot water and throttle heaters before , but now a hatful of chilled water system is also used , which needs special valves . “ We are now working on a very with child cannabis project of over 10,000 straight feet . There we have to inflect both red-hot water and chill pee valve . ” Cannabis raiser are good customers for control since the humidity and temperature is so important to a successful indoor grow .
Then there are the lights . Less than five years ago , there were n’t very many lighting company . “ They seem to belt down up out of nowhere , and they follow from all around the world , ” says Tom . “ I think the diligence will select in them in time , some company will launch themselves but not all of them . ” The popularity of LED ’s has led to Micro Grow to make for on developing spectrum control for LEDs . Automatic dimming is an case of the growth as well . “ Everyone wants the greatest and latest novel poppycock , especially cannabis grower . ”
For more information : Micro Grow42065 Zevo Drive , Ste B-1Temecula , CA 92590 US(951 ) 296 - 3340[email protected ]
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