Inventory management can seem pretty straightforward for, say, a t-shirt company. The small-size shirts that sit in the warehouse will still be small-size shirts from the time they arrive to the time they come off the shelf.
The same can't be said for trees and plants, whose sizes change greatly during their life on a farm. And when the circumference of a tree trunk determines how much a nursery can sell that tree for, understanding precise details about your inventory becomes extremely important.
That's where Arbré Technologies comes in. The Milwaukee startup is using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to revolutionize asset management for tree nurseries and other horticulture-based businesses.
Using hardware RFID tags equipped with cable ties, designed to expand with the tree as it grows, along with software that collects data on every tree and plant on a farm, Arbré can provide growers with more information about their inventory.
It's an improvement in an industry that was tracking inventory largely by barcode scanning, CEO and co-founder Matt Vollmer explained. RFID technology automates much of the process for growers, allowing them to greatly reduce their labor costs.
The startup's software also gives nurseries information in the palm of their hand in a way they were never able to use before, Vollmer explained.
"A lot of these businesses didn’t have mobile access to data," he said. "The RFID is really that link that allows them to do that. When you have an RFID tag in the field, you instantly have access to all the data points associated with that inventory item."
Arbré, founded in 2016, currently has 25 customers across North America, including growers in Texas, Maryland and Toronto. It currently has five full-time employees, and Vollmer said the startup has been doubling revenue every year.
Arbré also recently raised a $600,000 seed round of funding from the Winnebago Seed Fund and Brightstar Wisconsin.
Vollmer said he expects Arbré to grow to 15 or 20 employees in the next few years.
