Morehead, KY. – An eastern Kentucky company has ramped up production of a product that has the potential to disrupt sectors within the agriculture industry.

A-1 Implements, a Montgomery County-based company, has developed the Hemp Hawk, a cutting-edge extension to farming equipment that alleviates and control weeds. Max Hammond, CEO of A-1 Implements, said the device was initially created for the country’s growing Hemp industry, but the device also has the potential to assist farmers with other crops.

“Our device allows farmers to cultivate, weed, and hill in one swipe,” said Hammond. “Weed control is critical in the hemp fields and our device allows our customers to operate at an efficiency level unlike any other.”

A-I Implements were second place winners of the first-ever Startup Appalachia Pitch Competition last month in Pikeville, Ky.  They also showcased a prototype of the Hemp Hawk during the 2019 SOAR Summit.  The machine displayed at the Summit was delivered the following week to a farmer in South Carolina.

On Tuesday, October 8, 2019, A-I Implements formally announced a collaboration with 4C Innovations in Morehead to mass produce the Hemp Hawk.  Hammond’s goal is to produce 500 Hemp Hawks by the end of the year.  The one that rolled off the assembly line on Tuesday is headed to Colorado.

“This is a significant step for our company,” Hammond said. “I continue to be overwhelmed by the support of organizations across eastern Kentucky. Their support has been instrumental in getting us to this point, and I have no doubt they will be with us as we continue to grow an evolve.”

A-1 Implements is a client of SOAR’s Business and Innovation program.  To learn more about this program, visit www.soarinnovation.tech or contact Ryan Jones at ryan@soar-ky.org.