Winter Weather Conditions Call for Stronger Greenhouse Structures
Yesterday we received a call from a customer in Georgia. He had bought some inexpensive light weight coldframes to save money a few years ago, not thinking he had to worry about snow. As he walked through the blowing storm with some employees to clear the snow he watched the structures one by one collapse under the weight. (He warned that light structures collapse so fast under load, that customers should be warned to exercise extreme caution when trying to remove snow. Do not enter the structure if it looks risky!)
One day later GGS is in full production providing a quick turnaround for a grower in need. Seven GGS Freestanding greenhouses will provide cover for crop under the collapsed coldframes.
GGS rolling arches to provide growers stronger greenhouses to withstand unusual snow.
“This time of year we often get calls from customers who had lighter weight greenhouses collapse in the snow. GGS has a well-earned reputation for providing top quality greenhouse structures.” said Michael Camplin, GGS Sales Manager.
Weather patterns are changing, and areas that are not used to worrying about a greenhouse’s snow load, like Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana are finding paying a little more for a heavy Northern designed greenhouse is the best investment you can make.
“Some greenhouse growers call it greenhouse insurance” said Leigh Coulter when asked about the value of buying a northern greenhouse for areas that typically don’t have much snowfall. “The capital cost of a greenhouse with a snow load rating compared to one without is generally not significant when looking at the total cost of a new construction project including heating, irrigation, benching, environmental computer controls, etc.”
And Climate Change means more extreme weather to come. Last year at the end of December Israel was hit with rain and snow, and damage to greenhouses resulted in lack of supply for Basil, Chives, and many other greenhouse grown herbs.
But it’s not just warm weather countries and states that are experiencing heavier winter snows. Last year 47 Connecticut greenhouses reported damages of $20,000,000 due to the extreme blizzard of February 2013. And here we are again February 2014, with 22 states dealing with the effects of a deadly snowstorm, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, who were hit by heavy snows last year as well.
“We have ramped up production of standard greenhouse parts to do our best for any greenhouse grower affected by the storm” Camplin said. “Our sales team is knowledgeable about connecting GGS greenhouses to most other manufacturers' structures, and we will work with growers to salvage what makes sense.”
GGS also has construction crews available to help with removal and rebuild.
We hope that every one of our customers is warm, and home, and safe.
