From Spreadsheets to Scalable Systems: Northern Family Farms Triples Growth with Solution Builders

Brand Story
17 Apr 2026, 20:32 GMT+10

Solution Builders, a leading managed IT service provider, today announced the successful digital transformation of Northern Family Farms, a third-generation agricultural business that has tripled in size by modernizing its technology infrastructure and embracing data-driven operations.

Northern Family Farms, one of the Midwest's largest plant producers, sells over one million plants annually to customers across the United States. Led by siblings Ashley and Derek, the company has evolved far beyond traditional farming.

'People think we just grow plants, but at the scale we're operating, we're really an analytics company... we live and die by the numbers,' said Ashley, co-owner of Northern Family Farms.

Solution Builders

Scaling Beyond Spreadsheets

As the business expanded, Northern Family Farms faced increasing operational complexity. With millions of plants in production and forecasting timelines stretching years into the future, accuracy and real-time visibility became critical.

'The decisions I'm making today... some of that product won't be sellable until 2027... 2029... 2030. That's the hard part-getting that right.'

However, the company's technology environment had not kept pace with its growth. Key data was stored in spreadsheets, limiting visibility and slowing collaboration across teams. Manual processes-such as logistics routing-took days to complete, creating bottlenecks that hindered scalability.

To sustain growth, Northern Family Farms needed a more robust, connected, and scalable technology foundation.

Building a Scalable, Cloud-First Foundation

Solution Builders partnered with Northern Family Farms to modernize its IT environment and support long-term growth.

The transformation began by centralizing data and implementing a secure, cloud-based infrastructure powered by:

● Microsoft Teams

● Microsoft SharePoint

● Microsoft OneDrive

This shift enabled real-time collaboration, improved accessibility, and eliminated reliance on fragmented spreadsheets.

'Now you can be on the road... and it still feels like you're in the office. That has helped so much.'

As Northern Family Farms continued to grow, Solution Builders provided strategic guidance to implement an advanced ERP system built on Salesforce, aligning technology with long-term operational goals.

Driving Growth Through Technology

With a modern IT foundation in place, Northern Family Farms transformed how it operates.

Key outcomes include:

● Tripled business growth supported by scalable systems

● Improved operational efficiency through automation and streamlined processes

● Real-time data visibility for faster, more informed decision-making

● Seamless collaboration across a distributed workforce

● Elimination of bottlenecks caused by manual workflows

Today, Northern Family Farms operates with the agility of a family-run business while leveraging the capabilities of a much larger enterprise.

What was once a fragmented, manual environment is now a fully connected, data-driven operation-empowering the team to scale efficiently while staying closely connected to customers.

A Partnership Built for Growth

This transformation reflects Solution Builders' core philosophy: delivering technology not as a vendor, but as a strategic partner.

By aligning technology with business goals and continuously planning for the future, Solution Builders enables organizations to scale with confidence-combining proactive strategy, modern tools, and a commitment to exceptional customer service.

About Solution Builders

Solution Builders is a managed IT service provider based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, specializing in implementing and managing technology solutions that enhance security, operational efficiency, and profitability. Supporting over 100 organizations across the U.S. and Canada, Solution Builders has been recognized as one of the top managed service providers in North America.

Media Contact

Solution Builders, Inc.

Email: info@sbinc.com

Phone: (952) 854-8188

Address: 1550 American Blvd E Suite 900, Bloomington, MN 55425

Website: https://solutionbuilders.com/