RE:Today's trip to Smith Falls.Thanks so much Betty!!! Probably the best post i've ever read here and easily the most read. I fully agree with you, there's something exceptional happening here.
Bettyhumpter wrote: What a day.
Going to CGC HQ today to vote on the acquisition of Mettrum was even better than I expected it to be. We all got to tour the factory afterwards and got to see the operations and the Vault!
Today's trip clearly demonstrated to me that you can't learn everything you need to know from a book - or in this case, financial statements, analyst reports & of course good ole Stockhouse. Being there gave me a real sense that something really big is going on at this company. Like, really big. Beyond what I'd read on the "Internet".
I'll put out some of what I learned today and some impressions I got:
Impressions:
1. Every employee there had a smile on. Even when the 'cameras' weren't on them. I got a real sense that people were happy to be there and exceptionally happy to be a part of growing a leading edge business.
2. That leads nicely into impression #2: It's a real team there. They seem to be all bought in and are clearly working toward a common goal. From the janitor to CEO and everyone else in between.
3. Management is genuine. I've been around long enough to know when someone is just 'going through the motions' at a cocktail party/function. I spoke to CEO, Prez, CFO and all were welcoming, genuine and more than happy to chat. They were very approachable and down to earth.
I think this is extremely relevant. If you look at companies that hit big, Google, Tesla, Apple, the one thing that they all have/had in common during their explosive growth period was an innovative, forward looking & inspired corporate culture. A corporate culture where people where inspired to go the extra few miles for the customer, for their boss, because they were part of something.. That's the feeling I got from CGC HQ today.
Now what I learned about CGC or the market in general was very valuable too:
1. Bruce reads Stockhouse. He thinks a few of you are smart, and the rest of us are well, less so..
2. I asked Bruce directly: How big do you think Germany is going to be. He said: "Gigantic."
3. I asked about Australia. Both Bruce and Mark Zekulin said they thought Europe was the bigger opportunity. More Euro-expansion?
4. I learned the CGC is not interested in leading the pack, but rather distancing itself from the pack. I found that compelling as a shareholder.
5. Beacon Securities was there today. Again. Nice guys. They seem to be pretty excited about the opportunity as well.
6. In his discussion w the crowd of sh after the vote, he spoke very candidly about investing. He talked about people taking a basket approach to investing in a bunch of different stocks. He seemed to think investing in one or two would be a better strategy. In my mind, he was clearly saying, 'don't put your money elsewhere, we've got a clear winner here.' (This one is more of an impression).
So, all that to say, if you're a shareholder, or are thinking of becoming one, you should take a trip to Smith Falls and check it out. It's well worth the trip.