The Agro Couture Story: How Two Entrepreneurs Built a Cannabis Empire in Tacoma
In the bustling cannabis industry of Washington state, few success stories rival that of Agro Couture. Founded in 2015 by Jeremy Fishbaugh and later joined by General Manager James Beauchamp, this Tacoma-based producer/processor has risen to become one of the state's top cannabis companies. Their journey—from humble beginnings to industry leader—showcases how vision, integrity, and community focus can create a thriving business in this competitive market.
A Blessed Beginning
Agro Couture's origin story begins with what Jeremy Fishbaugh describes as a literal answer to prayer. Before Washington's recreational cannabis legalization in 2012, Fishbaugh had established himself in the state's medical market. However, as the transition to recreational cannabis approached, he found himself at a crossroads, unsure of his next steps and feeling burned out.
During this period of uncertainty, Fishbaugh began praying for guidance. Within just two weeks, an extraordinary opportunity presented itself. A friend in the cannabis industry named R. Williams, who possessed a cannabis business license but couldn't use it at the time, reached out to Fishbaugh with an unexpected proposition.
"He told me that he had been praying on it and that God told him to give me his business license," Fishbaugh recalls. Williams believed Fishbaugh would be "a bigger blessing with this than anybody else," and that principle mattered more to him than selling the license for profit.
Williams didn't stop at offering the license—he helped assemble the ownership group that remains intact today, eight years later. With this foundation in place, Agro Couture (a name selected by Williams himself) secured a building with a purchase option, and everything began falling into place.
Building the Brands
In its early days, the company focused on establishing an approved elite lab facility with the expertise of Les Higginbotham. This strategic decision allowed the Agro Couture team to increase input material for toll processing, taking other producers' products and transforming them into concentrate slabs.
This process inspired the name of their first brand—Slab Mechanix—as Fishbaugh and his team felt like mechanics working in a garage with their specialized tools. With Slab Mechanix, they made a bold market entry, offering high-end concentrates at accessible prices. While competitors sold similar quality products at $30 per gram, Agro Couture priced theirs at $20, prioritizing volume and market position over immediate profit margins.
"We wanted to be the leader in the space and we still own the $20 grams spot five years later," Fishbaugh notes proudly. This pricing strategy, though initially reducing margins to near break-even levels, embodied their long-term vision and commitment to customer value.
From this foundation, Agro Couture has expanded to produce six premium brands:
- Agro Couture: Their top-shelf flagship line featuring premium flower, live resin, infused blunts, and premium pre-rolls
- Slab Mechanix: Their "working man's" brand offering sugar wax, cartridges, shatter, and double-infused pre-rolls
- Green Envy: A specialized concentrate brand
- Tacoma Cannabis Company: Reflecting their local roots
- Agro Mechanix: An extension of their core offerings
- Dab Star: Exclusive flower strains and specific oil mixes in collaboration with Jonah Tacoma, one of the world's most recognized cannabis influencers
Growing Through Relationships
Agro Couture's growth strategy emphasized personal connections from day one. Fishbaugh took charge of sales, personally pitching to retail stores throughout Washington, delivering products himself, and building relationships with store owners and buyers. This hands-on approach established trust that continues to benefit the company today.
"After all this time, our long-term accounts are probably at least 25-40% of our monthly revenue still to this day," Fishbaugh explains.
This relationship-focused approach proved especially valuable during challenging market conditions. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, while many businesses struggled, Agro Couture thrived. As cannabis businesses were deemed essential and allowed to remain open, and with many consumers at home with stimulus funds, demand for Agro Couture's high-quality, fairly priced products surged.
"We grew by more than 60% in that first year of COVID," Fishbaugh notes.
Operational Excellence and Innovation
When James Beauchamp joined the company during the pandemic, he brought a focus on operational efficiency. By identifying ways to streamline production processes, Agro Couture has been able to reduce costs while maintaining quality—savings they pass on to consumers.
Beauchamp also led efforts to diversify the company's product portfolio, which was approximately 80% oil-based when he arrived. As other producers exited the industry during market contractions, Agro Couture seized opportunities to fill those gaps with their own superior offerings.
"As other farms were leaving the industry, we started picking up their product lines or the types of products that they were selling," Beauchamp explains. "We said let's make those and let's make them better and we diversified our product line."
This expansion included broadening their flower offerings and introducing new product lines, including:
- A diverse "B-bud" flower line
- Half-gram joints (which became particularly popular during the pandemic when sharing joints became less common)
- A line of THC-infused lemonade beverages in various flavors, including tropical, blue raspberry, pink lemonade, and country lemonade
Fishbaugh proudly describes his team as innovators and problem-solvers, constantly asking, "What can we do to make a move to be here tomorrow?"
Quality as a Foundation
At Agro Couture's Tacoma facility, the team cultivates hand-watered, small-batch, indoor flower while also partnering with other established farms that share their commitment to excellence. Their production methods emphasize both quality and affordability—what Fishbaugh calls the "Nordstrom Rack of cannabis."
"You're getting top tier stuff but at a more affordable price," Beauchamp explains. "You can see that we're not going too fancy in our packaging because we're charging our customers for premium cannabis products and not expensive packaging."
Their production process reflects this commitment to quality:
- They begin with baby cannabis plants in a dedicated space for three weeks
- Plants then move to a different room for eight more weeks of growth
- They use alternative light cycles to stimulate flower bud production
- At harvest time, they employ careful techniques to preserve quality
- After harvest, they dry the flowers, remove stems, cure them, and trim them precisely
- All products undergo rigorous quality checks before packaging
Among their notable strains is Gluelato, released under the Agro Couture brand. This indica-hybrid, a cross between Gelato and Gorilla Glue, has garnered attention for its distinctive aromatics described as "gluey gas" and a smooth, musky earth flavor. With approximately 25% total cannabinoids (20.5% THC, 0.1% CBD), the strain has been praised for its powerful and euphoric effects.
Community Commitment
Despite their growth and success, Agro Couture has never forgotten their roots or their responsibility to give back to their community. Under Fishbaugh's leadership, the company regularly participates in charity drives and fundraising for non-profits in Tacoma.
Their community involvement is substantial and heartfelt. Every year, Agro Couture partners with the Tacoma Rescue Mission, donating more than $20,000 worth of food for holiday feasts. Fishbaugh personally raised money to provide 5,000 pounds of ham and prime rib for a recent holiday season. The company has also organized toy drives, providing Christmas gifts to over 500 homeless youth in Tacoma.
"He is one of the most compassionate and giving hearts that you could ever imagine," Beauchamp says of Fishbaugh. "His heart and his passion for taking care of people is something that's unmatched by anyone I know in my personal or professional life."
Industry Position and Future Vision
Today, Agro Couture stands as a powerhouse in the Washington cannabis market. They rank among the top 20 brands in the state, serving more than 200 licensed dispensaries across 25 counties. According to TopShelf Data, they rank in the top 50 Processors and top 30 Producers in Washington.
This is particularly impressive considering they operate as a Tier 2 facility limited to 10,000 square feet of canopy—achieving their ranking among 700 licensed operations despite space constraints that many competitors don't face.
Their dedication to quick fulfillment times and exceptional customer service, plus their vendor-managed inventory capabilities, makes them an ideal partner for retailers looking to increase efficiency, sales, and profitability.
As they continue to solidify their position in Washington, the Agro Couture team is looking beyond state lines, considering how to expand their brands and business model nationally.
"We're really looking to take what we've perfected here and grow that nationally, because there's no reason to reinvent the wheel," Beauchamp explains. "There's upstart companies spending way too much money and way too much time trying to figure out things that we've had dialed in for seven years. There's proven ways that we can help."
Conclusion
The Agro Couture story exemplifies how a cannabis business can thrive by prioritizing quality, relationships, and community. From its providential beginning as a literal answered prayer to its current position as an industry leader, the company has remained true to its founding principles while continuously innovating.
Under the leadership of Jeremy Fishbaugh and James Beauchamp, supported by a dedicated team of more than 50 full-time employees, Agro Couture continues to live up to its "Tacoma Grown" slogan—representing not just where their products come from, but the community values that have shaped their business from day one.
As they look to the future, Agro Couture appears poised to bring their proven model of success to new markets, maintaining the same commitment to quality, value, and integrity that has defined their journey so far.
By Michael
Sources:
https://tacomaweekly.com/july222022.pdf
https://www.respectmyregion.com/gluelato-strain/
https://www.marijuanaventure.com/growing-the-right-way/
https://agrocouture.com/about-us/
WA States Advertising Disclaimer. Just In Case.
- "This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming.";
- "cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug.";
- "There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product."; and
- "For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children."
