The expert team
Has 30+ combined years of experience in the hydroponic sector. We pride ourselves on advanced knowledge of the latest technological innovations and production horticulture initiatives.
Tom Forrest
Tom Forrest CF – 2018 Churchill Fellow – is an Australian certified horticulturalist/agronomist working in the protected cropping industry. Consulting to multiple groups including ASX public companies, universities and private businesses, Tom has helped to instigate and guide multiple successful medical cannabis projects in Australia and New Zealand.
Tom is currently the co-founder and Cultivation Director for Puro (Marlborough, NZ), co-founder and Managing Director of Indicated Technology (Melbourne, VIC) and Communications Manager for Stealth Garden Wholesale (Adelaide, SA). Tom is also currently completing post-graduate studies in Agricultural Business at UTAS.
Tom is also an esteemed public speaker, presenting at pharmaceutical events, universities and worldwide conferences to share cannabis agronomic insights, the findings of his Churchill Fellowship and provide a global overview of cannabis industries.
Tom was the first ever Churchill Fellow for cannabis agronomy.
“I was fortunate to visit 8 countries, 28 cities and more than 50 cannabis cultivation sites between April and August 2019. This included visits to hi-tech sealed environment glasshouses, ‘pharma’ grade indoor facilities, traditional glasshouses, organic and outdoor broad-acre cannabis cultivation sites. The purpose of this trip was to learn from existing worldwide approaches to cannabis agronomy, and share this knowledge to help our local industry grow successfully.
Tom co-founded Indicated Technology in 2016 which provides agricultural equipment procurement services to licensed cultivators throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Most recently – Tom has co-founded Puro NZ,; the largest cultivator of medicinal cannabis in New Zealand and pioneering leader of the Aotearoa medical cannabis industry. Tom is a founding member of the Australian Medical Cannabis Council and member of the New Zealand Medical Cannabis Council.
Tom now has an intimate knowledge and understanding of pharmaceutical standards required of cannabis agronomy. This, combined with his business and marketing qualifications and expertise, has seen Tom become a sought-after lecturer, speaker and advisor on sustainable and successful cannabis cultivation.
Sasha Kotlar
Sasha brings over 10 years of business and international trade experience to our team. Sasha has previously built a multinational garden supplies company and pioneered his own unique varieties of horticultural technology and lighting solutions.
Sasha has developed a vast array of powerful professional global suppliers, and ensures our products and projects are delivered efficiently and economically. Sasha is responsible for client negotiations, project management and equipment supply.
Andrew Higgins
Andrew provides over 12 years of project management experience in the financial sector and strategic business planning. After gaining horticultural and business experience in the protected cropping industry in Europe, Andrew founded Australia’s most successful gardening wholesale supply company.
Andrew is responsible for business relations, contractual negotiation, financial planning, horticultural advice and cultivation solutions for our clients and contractors.
Mark Smith
Mark has a strong history in the global medical cannabis industry. Locally, Mark gained experience cultivating and researching cannabis and hemp under a DPI license in NSW. With experience growing and breeding high CBD hemp cultivars, Mark is recognised as an expert in Australian hemp cultivation, broadacre production and cannabis botany.
More recently, Mark has been working alongside international groups consulting to enhance productivity in hemp farming operations. Providing crucial advice around growth production auditing, implementing successful cultivation methodologies, cultivar selection and integrated pest management; Mark has facilitated farm production in Papua New Guinea, Croatia, Solomon Islands and Europe (Greece and Italy) whilst reviving artisanal CBD flower cultivation in Italy.
