Mississauga, ON Canada and Sacramento, CA USA
May 18, 2021
Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the “Company” or “BVT”) (CSE: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) (CVE:BEE) announced today that Michael Emrick has joined the Company as Territory Manager for California. Emrick brings extensive agricultural experience and important crop and pest control certifications, which position him well to lead BVT’s commercialization and sales growth in California.
“California is the single largest agriculture market in the US and BVT has made significant progress in accessing this important market by obtaining regulatory approval and conducting initial trials with strawberry, caneberry, blueberry and almond growers over the last five months,” said Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT. “The addition of Michael Emrick to our team, as a dedicated sales professional, is a significant step forward in pursuing the enormous opportunity that California represents that will further accelerate our revenue growth in this market.”
Emrick has 20 years of agriculture industry experience and is a licensed agriculture pest control advisor (PCA) with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and a certified crop advisor (CCA) with the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). He started his career in Arizona, where his family has deep roots in farming, and has been working with California growers for the last five years. Based in Fresno in the heart of California’s Central Valley, including the almond-growing region and a short drive away from major strawberry and caneberry growers, Emrick is well-situated to serve BVT’s target markets in the state.
“In addition to his customer-oriented approach and passion for innovation, Michael is a licensed PCA, which is a critical requirement for California, and has worked on all aspects of growing, from irrigation to pest control, fertilizers and more,” said Ian Collinson, Sales Manager at BVT. “His extensive experience working with growers throughout the US and doing field research and demonstration trials will be powerful in growing BVT’s presence in this market.”
“It’s getting harder and harder for growers to get ahead, especially here in California where we have a number of environmental issues and increasing regulations,” said Mr. Emrick. “BVT, with its natural precision agriculture system, offers a sustainable solution that will help them thrive in the changing market conditions.”
California is BVT’s largest, most crop-diverse opportunity in the US, with 1.3 million(1) acres of key crops for the Company to target. This includes strawberries, blueberries, caneberries and almonds. The largest state in terms of cash farm receipts, California represents over 1/3 of vegetable and 2/3 of fruit and nut production in the US.(2) It also exports over $20 billion worth of crops a year (40% of total production),(3) much of which goes to countries with limits on pesticide residue, which makes products like CR-7 highly attractive.
“I see a clear fit and big opportunities for BVT here in California,” continued Mr. Emrick. “It will help growers with sustainable farming practices, and improve their crop operations through better disease management and improved yields. I’m impressed with the amount BVT invested in R&D and their extensive patent portfolio. The management team has a depth of agriculture knowledge, experience and passion for the space that’s heartening, and I’m excited to be joining a team with such innovative technology.”
As BVT continues its entry into worldwide berry and almond markets, new hires like Emrick will propel growth. “Our California strategy includes initial market penetration, customer retention and expansion through exceptional customer service, and leveraging the initial experiences to gain new customers,” continued Mr. Malik. “Michael will introduce BVT technology throughout the state and pursue contracts with new growers for the next season, focusing on prominent early adopters who are influencers in their communities.”
(1) Source: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
(2)(3) Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture
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