‘If we don’t do it, someone else will do it tomorrow,’ is the motto of the young Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Lashin. And so he constantly expands his activities. From developing and selling climate computers for greenhouses to growing in his own greenhouses. And from growing himself to advising other growers about the Ultra-Clima greenhouse concept. Because this is what has suddenly made the harsh climate of Lipetsk much more productive. And this is how every time and situation offers new challenges and opportunities, as he told us on Skype.
“In 1991, following the collapse of the USSR, my father and uncle started the company FITO Agro that develops computer systems for regulating climate and irrigation in greenhouses. It went very well indeed – the computerised systems continued to get better and they sold well. By that time, I had also started to work at FITO Agro and in 2012 we realised that if we wanted further growth, we would have to export. But Russia had absolutely no reputation in the field of high-end agro technology. We could sell to Iran or Jordan but not to the US or Europe, even if our products were the best in the world.”