Lufa Farms

Jose B. Alvarez; Robert  Mackalski; Annelena  Loeb; Lisa  Mazzanti

Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2013

Lufa Farms

by Jose B. Alvarez, Robert Mackalski, Annelena Loeb and Lisa Mazzanti

Abstract

In 2013, Mohamed Hage, founder of the rooftop farming business called Lufa Farms, thought his company had reached a level of maturity where scaling the business model was the next logical step. With two greenhouses already in Canada, he was looking into other locations in the U.S. Though Lufa Farms' advanced cultivation technologies made the company stand out in its sector, the industry was still young and investors were not fully comfortable putting their resources into rooftop farms. This case explores the intricacies of a rooftop farming business, how it built a successful brand, and presents the challenges that might lie ahead for the company as the founder thinks about expansion.

Keywords: rooftop farms; Agriculture; greenhouse; technology; Expansion; strategic partnerships; cultivation; Agribusiness; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Canada;

Language: English

Format: Print

31 pages

Educators Purchase

Citation:

Alvarez, Jose B., Robert Mackalski, Annelena Loeb, and Lisa Mazzanti. "Lufa Farms." Harvard Business School Case 514-008, October 2013.

Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2019

CME Group in 2019

José B. Alvarez, Forest Reinhardt and Natalie Kindred

Chicago-based CME Group is the world’s largest futures and options marketplace, with annual trading volume of over 4.8 billion contracts in 2018. This case is set in late 2019, as heightened perceptions of risk stemming from the U.S.-China trade war are driving record trading volumes of agricultural futures. CME Group leads the agricultural futures market, but changing global dynamics are raising new questions about the security of its competitive position. With roots dating to the 1850s, CME Group became the market leader by developing liquid markets for reliable products tied to U.S. agricultural production. But the U.S. no longer dominates global grain and oilseed production and trade, raising questions about whether U.S.-domiciled futures and options will remain relevant globally. Other pressures on CME Group include the U.S. political environment—there is talk of taxing futures trades—and potential competition from Chinese futures exchanges. How should the management team adjust their strategy? While this case focuses on CME Group’s agricultural products business, some of the questions at play—e.g., about the role of speculators, the usefulness of a financial transactions tax, and the positioning of price discovery in commodity source markets versus destination markets—apply to other lines of business such as foreign exchange or precious metals.

Keywords: Financial Markets; Risk Management; Futures and Commodity Futures; Trade; Price; Competition; Risk and Uncertainty; Competitive Strategy; United States; China; Brazil;

Citation:

Alvarez, José B., Forest Reinhardt, and Natalie Kindred. "CME Group in 2019." Harvard Business School Case 520-048, December 2019. View Details

Cite View Details Educators Purchase

Faculty & Research

Lufa Farms

Abstract

Citation:

About the Author

More from the Author