Twenty years ago, Jorge Cepeda Sr. launched an agrochemical technology company, GrowSeven, in Florida to develop and manufacture customized, fast-acting, and sustainable solutions to help growers solve issues while using fewer inputs.

Jorge Cepeda Sr., Founder and CEO, GrowSeven

The vision was to organize a group of experts (agronomists, chemists, biologists, and others) to develop truly innovative solutions to aid growers in crop production. The result was the development of proprietary technology under the company's NIP (Nutrition, Immunization, Protection) program, which includes effective and fast-acting organic pesticides as well as highly soluble and absorbable nutrition that both improves nutrient uptake and strengthens a plant's immune system.

Ten years ago, with the second generation of Cepedas taking leadership roles in the family-owned company, GrowSeven “started to up our game in the organic produce sector,” said Jorge Cepeda Jr., who is vice president of sales.

The founding vision of GrowSeven was to organize a group of experts (agronomists, chemists, biologists, and others) to develop truly innovative solutions to aid growers in crop production.

Jorge and his brother Danny, vice president of marketing and business development, have created a suite of products offering a wide range of solutions that are customizable to a grower’s needs. The company’s mantra is that “one size does not fit all.”

Jorge Cepeda Jr., VP of Sales, and Danny Cepeda, VP of Marketing and Business Development, GrowSeven

While GrowSeven is still based in Florida, Jorge notes that the majority of its organic customers are on the West Coast, farming a great number of specialty crops. “California is the most advanced organic market in the world,” Jorge said.

He added that California’s organic grower community is a sophisticated group that is open to trying new products and looking for solutions for their crop protection needs. “They have a thirst for new products,” he said.

“California is the most advanced organic market in the world.” – Jorge Cepeda

The two brothers noted that BEMIX, which functions as both a stand-alone insecticide and an insecticide activator, is one of GrowSeven's more popular products within the organic community. The company's website says it is a “unique product in its class, with performance enhancement technology and with proven efficacy in activation of and residual control of both contact, systemic, and translaminar insecticides and acaricides.”

GrowSeven's BEMIX

BEMIX is only one of almost two dozen organic chemical formulations the company has in its arsenal.

Danny said GrowSeven's research and development team is constantly experimenting with new formulations and is averaging about five new products per year. About 20 percent of the company’s sales are to certified organic farmers. However, conventional growers looking to decrease their use of synthetic chemical inputs also purchase GrowSeven's OMRI Listed products.

Danny Cepeda scouting broccoli fields

California’s organic grower community is a sophisticated group that is open to trying new products and looking for solutions for their crop protection needs.

Danny and Jorge highlighted SLAM Org as one of the company’s newest organic formulations that has “phenomenal potential all over the world” as it can control both bacteria and diseases on a wide variety of crops, including vegetables, field crops, fruits, and nuts.

SLAM Org, one of GrowSeven's newest OMRI Listed products

“We’re excited about it. It's a fast-acting, broad-spectrum organic bactericide-fungicide that uses low rates of application and is very cost effective for growers,” said Jorge.

GrowSeven uses a network of local distributors to sell its products to growers. It also works directly with growers when introducing new products and for export markets. The company’s California customer list on the organic side is populated heavily with berry and grape growers, with growers of organic greens as another target market.