Arbor Vita8 Acquires Mobile Hemp Drying Company

Hemp processor Arbor Vita8 (AV8) has acquired Mobile Hemp Drying Company (MHD), a Florida-based builder, lessor, and distributor of mobile hemp dryers. The acquisition forms a new company named Arbor Vita8 Dry, LLC (AV8D). This acquisition will help expand the reach of AV8 when it comes to the essential service of hemp drying by taking the process outside their facility and putting it directly onto the farms themselves.

“This strategic move gives us the ability to provide better service to our farmers,” says Jason Sirotin, Arbor Vita8 CEO. “Not only can we now dry whole hemp crops onsite, but we can get to the harvested plant faster, reducing the risk of crop rot and mold.”

Since drying is a critical, and immediate, service farmers need, having the ability to put mobile dryers on location provides a much-needed solution to the common problem of crop loss. There’s no longer the need to transport harvested hemp to a separate drying facility.

“Farming in 2019 saw a lot of crop loss,” says Sirotin, “and this solution will make a big impact, especially in the South where the humidity is so high. No longer having to wait to dry a hemp crop is a huge money-saver.”

The dryers, currently designed and manufactured by MHD, with a revised AV8D line of dryers coming out this fall, dry whole plant as well as bucked and milled material. Delivery can take place across the country and setup can happen right in the field. Currently, service is available throughout the Southeast. Plans are to have service available in all states by 2023.

One dryer can hold between 1.5-3 acres at a time, and is able to dry flower, biomass, and even marijuana if it’s legal within the state. Under ideal conditions, one dryer will finish a load of flower between 22-32 hours. If working with whole plant biomass, dry time is between 16-18 hours.

AV8 Dry is planning to offer dryers for lease and for sale. Sale prices are under $100k, and short-term leases will be $15,000 a month per unit, with discounts for multiple units. You can visit Arbor Vita8 online — www.arborvita8.com — for the latest information.

“The future looks bright for hemp drying, and we’re excited to be the first to take the necessary steps to make it a more efficient process with less risk of damaged hemp,” says Sirotin. “We’re all looking forward to this innovation in hemp drying.”