Less than a year after opening its Saxton facility, Green Leaf Medical LLC is expanding.
“We are really excited about Phase II. It’s a $35 million expansion that will enable us to add hundreds of new jobs and better serve the needs of patients throughout the Commonwealth,” stated Philip Goldberg, CEO of Green Leaf.
Located in the former Seton facility, Green Leaf purchased the 274,000 sq. ft. facility in April 2017. It had been vacant for nearly a decade. In 2018, the company received state approval to become a grower-processor of medical cannabis.
Phase I of building renovation included a $15 million investment to upgrade approximately 100,000 sq. ft. The company began operations during the summer of 2019 and has already created approximately 100 new jobs.
“The medical cannabis industry is growing rapidly in Pennsylvania with a 500% increase in annual sales from 2018 to 2019. There are over 150,000 certified patients,” Goldberg said. He estimates that, in addition to the current jobs, 500 more will be created.
Drawings for Phase II have been completed and construction is expected to take 13 months. This new phase will include a state of the art, vertical cultivation facility that is expected to increase Green Leaf’s annual production capacity from 10 tons to over 30 tons per year. “Phase II will be completely separated from Phase I with its own irrigation, cultivation, extracting lab and HVAC systems,” noted Goldberg. The current operation has nine flower rooms with Phase II adding an additional 48 flower rooms.
“Saxton has exceeded our expectations. We have great employees and incredible community support. We certainly believe we made the right decision to locate our business in Bedford County. It’s a great fit for us,” noted Goldberg.
“With this expansion we believe Green Leaf will have one of the largest indoor medical cannabis operations on the East Coast. We hope our expansion and the multitude of opportunities it will create, generates renewed interest in both Saxton and Bedford County,” Goldberg said.
“Green Leaf has already proven to be a valued member of our community,” notes Jim Gonsman, Chair of the Bedford County Development Association. “Phil and his team are creating jobs and purchasing goods and services from local businesses. The company is also a strong supporter of local educational and non-profit groups. This is a great example of how economic development and community development go hand-in-hand.”