When Klutch Cannabis built its cultivation footprint in Ohio, speed was a priority. Today, their perspective has completely changed. The newest facility is no longer about racing to market, but about execution, consistency and meeting demand. “We’re happy with the production,” says Klutch’s Mike Lentz. “We started the demo in April 2024 and were fully operational by March 2025, which was a big milestone for us.”

From the first plants in the building so far, the cultivation team has already harvested 16 this year, and plans to produce 25+ per year. “A big shout out to the construction teams and partners like Pipp and the design team,” added Mike.

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More guns, more consistency
The latest expansion doubled Klutch’s footprint, allowing the company to support multiple brands under one roof, including Klutch, Josh D and Cookies. For Klutch’s Pete Nischt, that extra footprint was essential. “This gives us the ability to meet demand.” he says “We’ve been very happy with how he’s been playing.”

The facility runs Pipp double-level warehouses in conjunction with the second generation of the Vertical Air system. For Mike, the new Vertical Air system was immediately noticeable. “The vertical air system allowed us to build large rooms and maintain consistent air distribution.” There’s a lot of consistency in the room, and as a producer, that’s one of the biggest wins,” he says. Consistent airflow, properly sized HVAC, irrigation and environmental controls allow the team to achieve tight parameters in every room. That makes for predictable results and a product the team can support. “It helps with performance. “And at the end of the day, Mike has consistency.”

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Pete says that even in Klutch’s oldest rooms, vertical storage was a game-changer. “The Pipp rack gave us more than twice the fat in less space,” he says. “That’s huge in a square footage market like Ohio.”

Engineering for producers, not spreadsheets
The new facility was built with redundancy and airflow in mind. The rooms have dual HVAC systems that support about three hundred lights, with airflow capacity that exceeds what the HVAC fans themselves can provide. “There’s no bottleneck airflow. We’re always pushing air through the bucket, which is key.” He pointed out that the plants themselves act to condition the room through transpiration, which only works when the air flow is sufficient. “When the plants are working, they cool the space, essentially creating a natural swamp cooler. If the airflow is low, you’ll get less of the swamp cooling effect, which can create inconsistencies or hot spots in your grow space.” he says “Sufficient air disturbance really helps with energy demand as well.”
Operationally, Klutch doesn’t look for huge performance jumps between installations. Profits come from efficiency. “The design is similar, but the way it works is tighter,” says Mike. “We are working more efficiently.”

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Quality over trends
Despite pricing pressure and changing consumer behavior, Pete says Klutch’s philosophy hasn’t changed. “There will always be a market for quality cannabis,” he says. “You have to understand the consumer and how they shop.”

That mindset dates back to the company’s early days in the Ohio medical market. “In our first year, we had no marketing, no Instagram, no nothing,” Pete recalls. “It was all word of mouth. People were telling their friends that we had the best cannabis.”

That vision still guides decisions today, from farming to retail. Budtender training focuses on meeting customers where they are, whether they are long-time customers or feeling intimidated at the counter for the first time. “That link from seed to sale is everything to us,” says Pete.

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Not after THC
Product development follows the same logic. Klutch listens to the market, but doesn’t capture power on its own. “We’ve only had increased THC potency, but that’s far from the whole picture for us,” Pete says. “We rely on quality inputs that represent the flavor, the terpene, the right hardware for consumption, and the experiences of the plant.” He pointed out that our life concentrates are made from whole plants frozen fresh, not cut. Pre-rolls are also made with whole flowers. “A 90% THC product doesn’t always taste good,” adds Pete. “That’s not what we’re looking for.”

Mike agrees, noting that some of the band’s favorite strains are set at lower power. “We have dozens of lower THC strains that we don’t want to get rid of because they’re amazing,” he says. “There is also a request for that.”

In extracts, terpene content often tells the real story. Klutch’s live resin carts regularly hit 15% terpenes or more. Even at lower THC levels, “the effects are incredible,” says Mike. “We can’t keep them in stock.”

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Pete added that recent regulatory changes to remove THC caps allowed the company to simplify formulations. “We no longer add CBD just to dilute the potency,” he says. “For us, it’s a question of the purity of the product.” Klutch brand products do not include external terpenes, as Klutch relies on the flavor of its own plants. “We stabilize pure, purified terpenes from our material,” says Mike. “They are soft, expressive and faithful to the plant.”

A genetic engine running
One of the biggest quiet upgrades is the significantly expanded mother’s room. Klutch has doubled in size, building a deep genetic library that supports flowers and solvent-free production. “We’re working with 130 different genetics,” says Mike. “At any given time, we’d be running 25 to 50, then spinning.”

Lately the focus has been on strains that clear well for solvent-free extraction, an area where a small percentage of genetics really shines. “That flavor expression you get without solvents is hard to compare,” says Mike. “It’s literally like tasting the garden.”

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Around 35 new strains are already being developed by 2026, including flowers and solvent-free releases. Pete says the solvent-free program is already pushing the envelope. “We can’t keep it in stock,” he says. “People are driving from store to store trying to collect them all. We’re limiting jars per customer for our small batch line.”

For Klutch, that request confirms the strategy. “That mother room is the engine,” Pete says. “It’s enabling the things we’ve talked about for years, and we’re really excited to show the market what we’re cooking up.”