Based in Warren, Michigan, an industrial hub just outside Detroit, One Garden operates in one of the country's most competitive cannabis markets, where survival often marks success. For One Garden, the cultivation arm of the vertically integrated Sozo Companies, their continued success is about more than just keeping the lights on. It has meant building a team culture rooted in collaboration, resilience, and continuous improvement. Though they operate a large-scale facility, One Garden feels more like a "mom and pop" at heart, focused on people who are passionate about craft, and dedicated to delivering consistent, high-quality cannabis. "Our mission started with building careers in cannabis," says Nathan Kelly, Chief Cultivation Officer. "If we could show people this was a sustainable profession with benefits and growth opportunities, we knew we'd attract passionate employees who would help us produce amazing products." And that's exactly what they have achieved. Many team members started in entry-level roles and have since grown into leadership positions. This philosophy has strengthened retention, built a culture of collaboration, and become a point of pride for the team, helping employees grow with the business while creating consistency in a volatile market. "From day one I felt like I found my people here," shares Post-Production Manager Viviana Podina. "We're on a mission together, but we also take care of each other."
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From the beginning, One Garden's cultivation strategy has centered around Grodan stone wool, the foundation of their precision approach. The grow team points to cleanliness, consistency, and ease of use as the reasons Grodan was the natural choice for their facility. However, it wasn't until the team made the switch to the Grodan Improved pre-cut slabs with GR10s in late 2023, a configuration better aligned with their cultivation strategies and goals, that they unlocked a whole new level of efficiency, quality, and consistency. "With Grodan stone wool, we can clean and flip a room very quickly. That's a huge advantage over soil or coco, which leave behind a mess," explains Chief of Staff Andy Watters. And the results were clear. After moving to the multi-plant slab configuration, One Garden achieved a 35% increase in yields and a 21% improvement in potency. These increases reflect both the consistency of the slabs and the team's ability to align their crop steering strategies across media, irrigation, and environmental controls, further strengthening their position in Michigan's fiercely competitive market.
One Garden's tiered rolling rack system maximizes the output of their 84,000-square-foot facility, where more than 3,000 full-spectrum LED lights mimic natural sunlight and support the health and quality of up to 30,000 plants. Their setup combines Grodan slabs with integrated fertigation and environmental monitoring systems, anchored by PIPP Horticulture racking, Fluence LEDs, and Dosatron injectors—the backbone of their precision growing approach.
"We've nearly doubled our performance as we've learned about the media and advanced our knowledge of fertigation," notes Kelly. "Grodan gives us the control we need to crop steer effectively and continue to push quality further every cycle." Together, these systems have turned precision into measurable results.
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Over the past few years, One Garden has improved yields by nearly 0.75 pounds per light across the facility. Faster veg times, streamlined transplants, and the ability to manage 70+ cultivars at this scale have given the team flexibility to serve both the wholesale and retail market. Their genetic library now includes more than 100 cultivars, with about 60 rotated at any given time. By leveraging the reliability of stone wool, One Garden can steer each cultivar effectively and maintain consistent results across a diverse lineup. In a market defined by price compression and THC-driven demand, that level of consistency is rare. One Garden sustains it by maintaining a flexible crop mix and meeting ever-evolving consumer demand.
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Beyond the numbers, adaptability has been key to One Garden's success. The team pivots quickly by refining recipes, adjusting crop steering, and aligning production with market demand, which keeps them competitive as consumer preferences and market pressures shift. "In today's Michigan market, survival often becomes the marker of success for cultivators," says Kelly. "But beyond survival, our goal is to be adaptable—willing to work tirelessly to provide what our partners and customers need."
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One Garden's legacy will be defined not only by survival but also by adaptability and the loyalty they've built among employees and customers alike. "We want to build partnerships with retailers and loyalty with consumers," says Kelly. "We're an adaptable group that wants to get creative in finding pathways to success in this challenging market." Their story isn't just about growing cannabis—it's about growing people, partnerships, and a sustainable future for Michigan's cannabis industry. By pairing Grodan's technology with their culture of dedication and resilience, One Garden is setting a new standard for what success looks like in Michigan's market, proving that precision, adaptability, and peoplefirst values can thrive together.
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