Case Study: Bell Nursery

Problem

Bell Nursery grows more than 100 million plants each year, and its 62,000-sq-ft (5,760-sq-m) distribution facility in Elkridge, Maryland, plays a vital role in getting those plants to customers. But storing plants is delicate business. Excessive moisture inside Bell’s warehouse too often caused diseases and fungus growth that harmed the plants and led to annual product losses of up to 10 percent. Bell introduced a fleet of standard floor fans in hopes of producing the air movement necessary to reduce moisture and save plants, but found the fans lacking power and effectiveness.

Solution

Three 24-ft (7.3m) Powerfoil®X2.0 fans from Big Ass Fans® produce the air circulation the plants require without cluttering the floor. The results? Up to a 75 percent decrease in product loss. Whereas the old floor fans could only push small amounts of air across the plants’ surfaces, overhead Big Ass Fans produce massive airflow that hits the plants from all angles, a fact that Facility Manager Jim Patton credits for their success. He says, “The plants are potted, so getting that constant, unobstructed, vertical air movement through the leaves is really important to keeping the products healthy.”