Compare
When you compare traditional controlled growing environments with our Tropos system, there is virtually no comparison. Most conventional systems require significant ongoing investments in electricity, natural gas, CO2 and water while producing lackluster results in terms of plant growth and quality. The quick-glance comparison chart below tells the story.
Tropos HCHC vs. Conventional HVAC
A Cost, Quality + Production Comparison
SOURCE OF ENERGY
CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT
GRID POWER ELECTRICITY• TROPS HCHC: Low Cost Required for pumps, fans, etc.• CONVENTIONAL HVAC: Highest Cost electricity
NATURAL GAS – ENGINE/BOILER (Electricity for lights + controlled environment)• TROPS HCHC: Low Cost Heat source from exhaust to operate HCHC through mixing box + chiller• CONVENTIONAL HVAC: Highest Cost electricity
GRID POWER ELECTRICITY• TROPS HCHC: Low Cost Required for pumps, fans, etc.• CONVENTIONAL HVAC: Highest Cost electricity
NATURAL GAS – ENGINE/BOILER (Electricity for lights + controlled environment)• TROPS HCHC: Low Cost Heat source from exhaust to operate HCHC through mixing box + chiller• CONVENTIONAL HVAC: Highest Cost electricity
MEET OUR
Leadership Team
TOM RYAN
Chief Operating Officer
MACK SHELOR
Chief Technology Officer
ARNOLD ROGERS
Chief Financial Officer
JOHN D. CUMMINGS JR.
Chief Commercial Officer
LARKIN CANINGTON
Chief Sales Associate
PAAL ELFSTRUM
CEO, Wheatfield Gardens
Team Bios
Tom Ryan
Tom serves as Chief Operating Officer. He has been actively engaged in the process and energy industries since 1981 and involved in implementation of combined heat and power (CHP) and independent power projects for more than 20 years. Tom has served with Tropos since 2014. He holds a B.S. in biology from Bates College in Lewiston, ME.
Mack Shelor
Mack is Chief Technology Officer and originator of our revolutionary HCHC greenhouse system. He holds the patent on the HCHC process, five patents related to the use of reciprocating engines in greenhouse settings, and another patent for raising perennial plants in highly concentrated environments. Mack holds a B.S. in business and finance from Virginia Tech.
Arnold Rogers
Arnold is Chief Financial Officer for Tropos. He brings more than 45 years of experience in energy, finance, investment banking, and corporate leadership. He is based in Jacksonville, Florida.
John D. Cummings Jr.
John is Chief Commercial Officer for Tropos. He is a founding partner of Baltimore Steel Partners, a steel solutions company. He previously served as vice president of sales for Bethlehem Steel Corporation. John holds a B.S. in metallurgical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Larkin Canington
Larkin is Chief Sales Associate for Tropos. A founding partner of Baltimore Steel Partners, he previously served as national sales manager for Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Prior to joining Bethlehem, he was president of CSI Services, a prominent mechanical contractor. Larkin holds a B.A. in business and economics history from Vanderbilt University.
Paal Elfstrum
Paal is CEO of Wheatfield Gardens, a fully operational greenhouse near Buffalo, NY, and sister enterprise to Tropos. Our common parent, Power Greenhouse Integration, LLC, acquired and reconstructed the Buffalo greenhouse to serve as a pilot demonstration site for our HCHC process as well as an ongoing commercial enterprise. Today, Wheatfield Gardens is a year-round grower of cannabis for industrial hemp applications and butterhead lettuce for regional grocers. Paal has extensive experience helping emerging companies develop successful sales and marketing strategies. He holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Maryland.