Debra Borchardt
Curaleaf
Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: CURLF) is buying the largest outdoor grow in Colorado known as Los Sueños Farms in a deal valued at $67 million. The transaction is a mix of cash and stock. Curaleaf said this will significantly expand its Colorado presence, vertically integrating within the state. The proposed acquisition includes three Pueblo, Colorado outdoor cannabis grow facilities covering 66 acres of cultivation capacity, including land, equipment, and licensed operating entities, 1,800 plant indoor grow and two retail cannabis dispensary locations serving adult-use customers. An additional contingent consideration of up to $8 million in stock will be paid based upon operating cash flow-based targets for 2022.
Boris Jordan, Executive Chairman of Curaleaf, stated, “The acquisition of Los Sueños provides Curaleaf with outdoor cannabis cultivation expertise at commercial scale and establishes our foothold in the $2.2 billion Colorado market. This deal furthers our strategy of constructing low-cost supply chains that will secure healthy margins and position us for interstate commerce when it comes. Ultimately, our goal is to cultivate cannabis at less than $100 per pound, and this acquisition is a significant step in the right direction.”
The acquisition will complement Curaleaf’s existing Colorado presence through its Select brand. Joseph Bayern, CEO of Curaleaf added, “The acquisition of Los Sueños will add over 50,000 pounds per year of low-cost wholesale capacity to Curaleaf’s footprint in Colorado , which we intend to double to over 100,000 pounds, representing a significant market share. As the largest producer of biomass in the state, this facility will also fuel the further deployment of our Select product line, which can already be found in 230 independent dispensaries in the state.”
Hexo
HEXO Corp. (NYSE: HEXO) announced it is buying 48North Cannabis Corp (TSX-V: NRTH) in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $50 million on an enterprise value basis. 48North is a brand-led, consumer-centric licensed cannabis producer with an expansive portfolio of high-quality, accessibly-priced products available across the country. The company brands include Trail Mix, an accessibly priced brand formulated with taste and aroma-first flavor profiles and Latitude, a next-generation lifestyle platform and premium, natural cannabis collection focused on wellness, beauty, and beyond. 48North operates two indoor-licensed cannabis production sites in Ontario.
“As we continue down our path towards achieving a top two position in Canada by adult-use sales, we are looking forward to welcoming the 48North team into the HEXO family.” said Sebastien St-Louis, CEO and co-founder of HEXO Corp. “48North’s innovative product portfolio complements HEXO’s existing brands which, combined with their additional market penetration, will further strengthen HEXO’s position in the Canadian market. We expect the deal could offer up to $12 million worth of accretive synergies within one year following the close and ideally position HEXO to continue executing on our domestic and international growth strategy.”
Assuming this deal closes and the previously announced transaction with Zenabis Global Inc., which is expected to close on June 1, 2021, the combined organization would be among the leading licensed producers in terms of combined Canadian recreational sales, based on their most recent financial statements and results.
