Bradley Nattrass

Bradley Nattrass began his entrepreneurial career in 2005 as owner and operator of a provider of barbeque and grilling products, learning the ropes of running his own business before shifting to a new industry nine years later.

In 2014, Nattrass embarked on a new endeavor in urban-gro Inc., touching every aspect of the business from doer, manager, promoter and business developer to inspirational company leader. The company has ebbed and flowed as the cannabis industry has started and stalled and started again, struggling to gain traction in the business’s early years.

Today, snickers and whispers about the cannabis industry have mostly been replaced with earnest interest and investor engagement. The industry headwinds have become urban-gro’s tailwinds. With Nattrass at the helm, the company has risen to a global industry leader in the design of facilities providing plant-based medicines and food-focused crop production.

“Over the course of urban-gro’s evolution, I’ve learned that there is greater joy and less stress in growing a company with a focus on profitability as opposed to solely on driving revenues,” Nattrass said. “This subtle shift in mindset has positively influenced the strategic focus and direction of urban-gro since uplisting to the Nasdaq in February 2021.”

urban-gro Inc. provides architectural and engineering facility design, cultivation systems integration and operational support for cannabis and food-focused indoor controlled environment agriculture. The company’s aim is to design high-performance CEA facilities to support the production of plant-based medicines and localized crops to benefit communities across the globe.

“At urban-gro, we are committed to being the CEA industry’s leading provider of turnkey, architect-led design build solutions,” Nattrass said. “Through holistic growth and strategic acquisition, we’ve built the best team in the industry. By cultivating this group of smart, capable, well-rounded individuals, not only does it help to guide the day-to-day operations of the organization, it also frees me up to focus on the big picture.”

Nattrass and urban-gro are eyeing overseas markets, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, diversifying into vertical farming facilities, which are localized and highly efficient.

“A successful entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in the agricultural sector, Brad combines a bold vision with tested industry expertise to build strategies and solutions that help cultivators design and operate modern, efficient cultivation facilities,” staff said.

The company’s finances indicate Nattrass has things on the right track. Revenue in 2021 was estimated at $62 million, up from $25.8 million the previous year.

“I’m continuously looking toward the future, envisioning how the company might evolve alongside the industry,” Nattrass said. “It is thanks to our people that I am afforded the opportunity to lead and influence both now and into the future.”