Greenhouse Education Center

GREENHOUSE Education Center IN THE SPOTLIGHT

BPS Technology Supports STEM Resources

Walking in from the rainy, overcast day into the greenhouse education center, the warmth hits immediately. It’s not just the heating system, it’s the earnest greetings and energy from the scientists working inside. The team from BPS Technology can be seen a few days a week inside the structure that sits on the Argyle High School campus. On the day we visit, David Coorts, technical director for BPS Agriculture, is harvesting lettuce from a hydroponic system, carefully bagging the tender leaves for measurement back at their

Argyle lab. “Eventually, we would love to be working with students on trials like this one,” Coorts said. “The work we’re doing here involves plant science, agriculture concepts, data gathering, statistics, and represents the scientific method end-to-end. Bringing students alongside this work will be a great way to help bring STEM education to life.”

In addition to Coorts, a team of BPS Technology research scientists are onsite during our field trip. They’re monitoring rows and rows of corn plants inside the greenhouse, which was donated by the company and one of their operating entities, Verano365. With ongoing restrictions in place to safeguard students and educators during the COVID-19 era, the BPS team has been focused on setting up systems within the greenhouse and conducting internal trials so that they’re ready to engage with Eagles when the time is right.

THE TEAM FROM BPS TECHNOLOGY CAN BE SEEN A FEW DAYS A WEEK INSIDE THE STRUCTURE

JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE WORK THAT COORTS AND HIS TEAM ARE DOING

Brown explains, “When SymMAX is introduced to a chemical solution, that new formula will then either work better or last longer than what’s available today. From a sustainability perspective, we can reduce the chemical intensity in industries — meaning we can help our partners do more with less.” While the company does scientific research and discovery work in Argyle, their chemical manufacturing takes place in Midland, Texas. The discoveries being made led the firm to file 12 patents in 2020, and they

“Right now, we’ve been getting to 2020. Brown leads a crew of just over 40 were recently short-listed by D CEO and know the STEM teachers across all employees, and his team has been able Dallas Innovates as a top-four finalist grade levels to learn more about their to add a few local residents as new hires for the 2020 Innovation Awards in the curriculum via virtual meetings,” Coorts since joining the Argyle community. manufacturing category. The recognition is said. “We hope we’ll be able to at least The rows of tomatoes, peppers, among several the company has received do some distance learning activities corn, flowers, and lettuce in the in the last year, including being a top-five with the students this spring, especially greenhouse are just a snapshot of finalist in the international FoodBytes! during prime growing season.” the work that Coorts and his team Pitch competition in the AgTech category.

In the meantime, the company has are doing in the agriculture sector to They also took home the number two spot been a monetary supporter of the Argyle make agrichemicals more efficient. BPS on Fort Worth Inc. magazine’s Best Places Education Foundation and made a Technology also works to enhance to Work in Fort Worth list for 2020. $40,000 investment in the greenhouse. chemical efficiency in the oil-and-gas “The grit of this team cannot be The efforts were driven not only by a sector. All of their projects are anchored understated,” said Brown. “We’re launching desire to further STEM education in their by their proprietary technology, products that address critical issues new hometown but also as a way to put SymMAX. The aqueous-based host in multiple industries, and our team’s the company’s values into action. chemistry, SymMAX, is a first-of-its-kind drive for both discovery and continuous

“Staying true to being strategic, servant- breakthrough that will enhance almost improvement impress me every day. minded in our community, shepherds of any chemical or biological solution it’s In addition to critical STEM abilities, our people and our technology, stewards mixed with by forming supramolecular hopefully, perseverance and curiosity are of the earth’s resources, steadfast in our structures. There are no harsh chemicals skills we can nurture with Argyle students daily operations, and keeping a spiritual used to produce SymMAX, and it in the coming years, too.” faith, keep us grounded and on the same utilizes naturally occurring minerals in a More information about BPS Technology page as a team,” says Bravis Brown, CEO mechanical manufacturing process. can be found at www.bps.technology. of BPS Technology. “The greenhouse facility is a way that we can share those values with our Argyle BRINGING STUDENTS community.” ALONGSIDE THIS A new Eagle Partner, BPS Technology WORK WILL BE and their family A GREAT WAY TO of companies, moved its corporate HELP BRING STEM headquarters to EDUCATION TO LIFE Argyle at the end of