Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand March/April 2019 | Page 66

HAPPEN
Thanks for taking the time to share your
story with us, Dan. Could you please give
us a brief description of your business?
Green-Qube designs and manufactures high-
quality, technology-led hydroponic grow tents
for home growers, predominately in the UK and
Europe. We lead the way in terms of product
development and aim to be the first to introduce
new ideas and grower-beneficial features into
the grow tent industry.
We work closely with growers, hydroponic
shops, and industry leaders, and have
established an open dialogue for feedback
and product development, ensuring that we
have continual fresh tent updates and creative
improvements. We strive to provide innovative
high-quality grow tents at low price points.
We have a range of over 30 grow tents, including
the Roof-Qube and the Quick-Qube, the brand
new, first-of-its-kind pop-up grow tent. Based on an
adapted industrial gazebo frame, the patented design
literally allows you to simply drag the frame out to put it up.
Direct feedback from
industry professionals
and consumers drives
innovation at Green-
Qube, which now
features 30 models in
its grow tent product
line, including the
industry-first pop-up
grow tent. Maximum
Yield sat down
with Green-Qube’s
director and founder
Dan Van Keogh to see
what the company will
come up with next.
What did you do before starting Green-Qube?
Very randomly, I branded high-end parasols, umbrellas,
and gazebos from corporations, breweries, hotel chains,
big events, and all sorts of companies. I worked closely
with contacts in China to source and manufacture such
products, along with having more than 10 years of experience
importing. I also had a passion for design and spent time
educating myself in design software so I could get involved
with the design element of the role too. I absolutely loved
this side of the job, especially as I have always had a geeky
curiosity about design, architecture, and engineering.
When and where did the company begin?
I started designing grow tents in 2009 and the first Green-
Qube hit the market in 2011. Being Welsh, it was important
for me to stick to my roots and run the business from Wales. I
chose Cardiff as it was such an expanding and diverse city,
and it is just down the road from my hometown of Caerphilly,
so I could still pop home for my mum’s home-cooked dinners.
And yes, Caerphilly is where the famous cheese comes from.
Has your company moved or expanded
since the beginning?
We have moved locations but not far. We are now just outside
Cardiff in the buzzing and creative seaside town of Penarth.
With age, kids are now in the equation, so a quieter pace of
life and the beach was a real draw. It is important for us to
have a work-life balance and Penarth offers amazing cafes,
bars, and restaurants as well as countryside and sea — what
more could you want?
What is your current product line?
171 Stanwell Rd., Penarth
CF64 3LN, UK
[phone]
7 years in business
green-qube.com
66
Maximum Yield
Our product line diversifies and grows year on year. We
have become known within the industry as innovators and
are proud to be the first to bring countless new concepts and
features to the market. Being design-led, this came naturally
to us and we loved the chance to create innovative solutions
to problems that growers had. Based on feedback and ideas
that growers themselves had, we took to the design board and
got creative. As a result, we not only offer brand new features
and time- and money-saving nifty ideas such as the Uplift Bar
for gravity-fed water systems, we also thrive on bringing new
tents to the market.