GOING PUBLIC can be the greatest thing that can happen to a
company . . . or it can be a quick route to the company’s downfall.
Which side of that line a given company falls on depends almost
entirely on their strategy, the reasons they are going public, and
their plans moving forward. In the growing cannabis industry,
dozens of companies are started every single day, some with
great business plans and a vision for the future, others . . . not so
much. SLANG Worldwide is a company with vision. Soon to go
public, SLANG has big plans moving forward and intends to make
waves in the industry.
SLANG was built on a foundation of experience, expertise, and
knowledge that cofounders Billy Levy and Peter Miller gained
in the cannabis industry over the last five–six years. Prior to
starting SLANG, the two cofounded Mettrum Health, one of
the first licensed producers of medicinal cannabis in Canada.
Through that experience, they came to realize that cannabis,
like any other plant farmed at an industrial scale, would quickly
become commoditized and that, ultimately, the majority of value
created in the industry would be through the creation of quality
brands and distribution channels.
With a mission to provide consistent, high-quality, trusted
products delivering on the SLANG brand promise to cannabis
consumers around the world, the company was launched. When
first starting, Billy and Peter sought to build a portfolio of
dominant brands that could compete in the most competitive
markets. At that time, the Canadian market was still relatively
immature (from a branding perspective), so the team explored
operations in Colorado and California, tracking winning and
losing brands over a period of several years.
One of the best brand builders they examined closely was
Organa Brands, which was a clear winner across several product
verticals. They were able to form a relationship with the team at
Organa that culminated in a transformational merger agreement
over this past summer. Under the leadership of Jeremy Heidl, the
brand portfolio under Organa Brands was taken to an industry-
leading level. Chris McElveney’s team, through technical
innovation, was able to deliver a powerful arsenal of products to
further bolster that portfolio. Finally, the sales organization, led
by Chris Driessen, produced a top-of-the-line sales team.
Through the strength of those leaders and their teams,
SLANG’s pro forma consolidated portfolio of brands can now be
found in more than 1,500 retail locations in the US and has sold
over $200 million Canadian at retail. Looking toward the future, a
clear line of sight is visible to expand that product portfolio and
distribution footprint worldwide.
The first step in that direction will be the transition to becoming
a publicly listed company, allowing the team at SLANG to
accelerate their strategy on all fronts. Up until now, they have
been primarily focused on pursuing growth through mergers and
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