September 29, 2025
SMB Spotlights SweetWater Technologies
Earlier this month, the SMB team spoke with Hannah Gripp from SweetWater Technologies to learn and share more about this emerging brand – a sustainable farming and agricultural support franchise.
SMB Franchise Advisors: In a few sentences, describe what services your brand provides and what your company is all about.
Hannah Gripp: At Sweetwater Technologies, we are an agriculture drone application business specializing in spraying fungicides, insecticides, and plant growth regulators (PGRs) to promote plant health, particularly during the reproductive stages of crops. Unlike traditional crop dusters, our drones fly about 10 feet above the plant canopy, ensuring precise application directly onto the plants with minimal waste. Our company branched off from a family-owned farming business in Illinois, where we not only serve clients but also use the same drone applications on our own crops. SweetWater Technologies was founded in 2020 and became its own standalone business in 2023. By combining our farming background with cutting-edge drone technology, we’re proud to deliver innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions to growers. SweetWater Technologies stands out as an agricultural franchise dedicated to promoting plant health and improving yields through precision drone technology.
SweetWater Technologies franchise leadership – The Gripp Family
SMB: What makes your service offering unique in today’s market?
Hannah: What sets Sweetwater Technologies apart is how we’ve eliminated many of the headaches that typically come with drone operations. If a franchisee’s drone goes down, we guarantee they’ll be back up and running within 24 hours, whether that means helping them repair it right away or replacing it with another unit while we handle the fix at headquarters. Since the spraying season is short and everyday counts, this ensures our franchisees never lose valuable time, revenue, or the ability to serve their customers. Beyond the technical support, we’ve built a true community within our franchise system. While others may treat drone spraying as a one-off seasonal job, we’ve developed a model that allows franchisees to operate a profitable, sustainable business year after year. By removing barriers and building a team-oriented system, we help our franchisees focus on what matters most: supporting growers and promoting plant health.
Farmers observing drone technology demonstration in agricultural field – SweetWater Technologies franchisees and techs.
SMB: How do you maintain service quality standards across locations?
Hannah: We take service quality very seriously and maintain it through regular check-ins with our franchisees as well as direct communication with their customers. By staying in touch with farmers and asking for feedback, we can quickly address any concerns and ensure satisfaction. We also conduct field visits, reviewing applications firsthand and having open conversations about what went well and what could be improved, for example, correcting mapping errors or missing areas. This proactive approach, combined with honesty and transparency with the end users, ensures that our franchises deliver consistent, high-quality results. At the end of the day, it’s about building trust with farmers and making sure every field is treated with the precision and care it deserves.
SMB: What inspired you to franchise your business?
Hannah: The inspiration came from my father-in-law, Chad, who saw firsthand the many challenges within agricultural drone spraying, such as frequent crashes, lack of access to reliable drone products, and limited agronomy knowledge. Too often, people were simply “out there spraying” without the professionalism needed to truly support farmers. Chad recognized how our approach, professional, precise, and focused on helping farmers achieve higher yields and a stronger ROI could transform the industry. Franchising was the way to bring that model to more communities across the Midwest, offering locally owned and operated businesses that deliver consistent quality while eliminating the headaches often associated with drone applications.
SMB: Why did you partner with SMB Franchise Advisors?
Hannah: While we know agriculture inside and out, how to plant fields, maintain healthy crops, and deliver great harvests, we know we needed expertise in franchising. With guidance from our franchise lawyer, Megan, it became clear that to grow successfully we needed stronger manuals, systems, and education to ensure professionalism is carried through to our franchise operations. Partnering with SMB Franchise Advisors gave us the franchise knowledge and structure we were missing. They’ve helped us do what we do best in agriculture and translate it into a scalable, well-executed franchise model that supports our franchisees and ensures consistency across every location.
SMB: How many territories do you have in your franchise system?
Hannah: Going into spring 2025, we had five franchise operated territories. Our franchisees expanded to add more drones and serve more acres after the 2024 season. With SMB’s guidance, we’ve decidedly become more selective about our growth because we want to make sure we’re partnering with the right people who share our values. Working with SMB allowed us to refine our manuals, strengthen accountability, and set higher standards across our franchise system. In agriculture, franchising is still a new and sometimes intimidating concept. By holding ourselves and our partners accountable, we’re showing the community how franchising can bring professionalism, consistency, and innovation to the industry.
Farming is a family business, and SweetWater Technologies franchise is, too.
SMB: What are your long-term goals for your franchise? How many locations do you hope to grow to?
Hannah: Our long-term goal is to help communities across the Midwest spray their crops more efficiently. Each summer, there simply aren’t enough planes, helicopters, drones, or ground rigs available to meet demand. By expanding our franchise, we want to ensure farmers have access to the tools and support they need to protect plant health, improve yields, and farm more sustainably. Ultimately, we want to empower local franchise owners to bring professionalism and consistency to their communities while helping crops thrive throughout the growing season. We’re focused on growing responsibly and will be grateful for however many opportunities we are blessed with.
SMB: What qualities do you look for in successful franchisee candidates?
Hannah: We look for franchise candidates who have both heart and grit, along with strong connections in their agricultural community. Access to acres is essential because without it, a franchisee won’t be set up for success. Having established relationships and credibility within the agriculture community helps build trust with farmers, many of whom value experience and see franchisees as advisors who guide decisions that impact crop health and yield. We also look for individuals who aren’t afraid of hard work. The drone application business is demanding, especially from May through August, when days are long and schedules are intense. Beyond the spraying season, franchisees must continue building relationships with farmers and managing chemical sales. At the end of the day, a successful candidate is someone rooted in agriculture, trusted in their community, and willing to put in the effort it takes to help farmers achieve better ROI and healthier crops.
Training at SweetWater Technologies is an important process.
SMB: What makes your franchisee training program unique?
Hannah: Our training program is very hands-on, both at the beginning and throughout the entire franchise relationship. New franchisees start with a week-long, in-person training where they learn the ins and outs of drone application and agronomy. But the support doesn’t stop there, we continue to check in regularly and provide real-time solutions whenever challenges arise. If a drone goes down, our commitment is to have the franchisee back up and running within 24 hours, whether that means walking them through a quick fix or driving out to swap equipment ourselves. Beyond technical support, we are always available for agronomy and application questions. By staying actively involved and approachable, we ensure our franchisees feel supported, confident, and equipped to run smooth and successful operations.
SMB: How do you help franchisees build strong client relationships?
Hannah: We start by seeking franchisees who already have an agricultural background and credibility within their communities. From there, we train them on how to host demo days, have meaningful conversations with farmers, and apply sales tactics that are relationship-driven rather than transactional. It’s not about pushing a product, it’s about earning trust and proving value. To support this, we equip franchisees with yield data, test field results, and real-world ROI examples they can share with farmers. These tools demonstrate how our applications truly work and how they can increase bushels per acre. Our founder, Chad, always emphasizes looking forward and focusing on how we can help farmers put more money back in their pockets. By aligning with that mindset, our franchisees are positioned as trusted advisors who build lasting relationships and deliver measurable results
SMB: What advice do you have for business owners looking to franchise?
Hannah: My biggest advice is to make sure franchising is something you truly want to do and can fully support. Franchising isn’t the same as running your own business, it requires a shift in mindset. Instead of focusing solely on your own operations, you’re now responsible for supporting and educating others who will be running their own independently owned and operated businesses. That means building systems, offering ongoing training, and committing to continuous improvement so your franchisees can succeed. It’s a rewarding path, especially if you enjoy teaching and mentoring, but it’s also a big responsibility. For us, the joy comes from seeing franchisees grow and knowing we’ve equipped them to deliver results in their communities.
SMB: Is there anything else you would like us to share about your brand?
Hannah: We’re proud to be one of the few franchises within the agriculture industry and have truly enjoyed the journey so far. Partnering with our current franchisees has been incredibly rewarding, and we’re excited about what the future holds as we continue to grow. Our focus is on constantly improving ourselves and our brand, ensuring we deliver lasting value for our franchisees and the farming communities they serve.
Learn more about the SweetWater Technologies franchise opportunity here.
Questionnaire created by Kayla Mowery, SMB Franchise Advisors Operations Specialist + Technical Writer
Oversight by Dawn Abbamondi, Chief Marketing Officer for SMB Franchise Advisors
