Phillip Wanger repeats the word “relationship” throughout a behind-the scenes tour he gives of PharmaCann as he discusses the $32 million renovation and expansion managed by Holt Construction at the company’s highly complex medical marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facility in Hamptonburgh.

Wagner is the Operations Manager for PharmaCann, the first company in New York State to be issued a license to manufacture medicinal cannabis. He says the relationship with Holt and the various sub-contractors has made all the difference in terms of managing timelines, delivering on expectations and delivering on the quality of work, especially through COVID.

The project, just under a total of 50,000 square feet, calls for a complete renovation of PharmaCann’s existing facility as well as tripling the greenhouse capacity for growing. It will finish construction on a greenhouse that was partially erected in the first round of construction on the site about six years ago and add a third indoor grow to the rear of the facility, bringing it to about three acres total for cultivation capacity and a complete renovation to bring the headhouse processing areas to good manufacturing practices (GMP) food processing pharmaceutical processing standards.

Christopher Chippa, Project Manager on the site and a Senior Project Manager at Holt said that extensive lead times had to be made in both manpower and materials as a result of the pandemic and the regulations tied to the medical marijuana industry. He says there are about 130 trade members working on the project running multiple shifts.

Among those working on the project are Darling Associates, Perreca Electric, MDS HVAC-R and Tri-State Drywall.

Holt officially broke ground in June. Expectations are to have the construction project completed by the fall of 2022.