Testimonial from ISH accepted franchisee- UP facil. TOUR Here is my "official" write-up. During the tour we were not allowed to take any pictures but I should be sent some pictures I can share shortly. Regarding my write-up, it's clearly very casual and I think it will give you even greater confidence in your investment as it has for me:
Just to get to the point, you can be absolutely confident in your investment. Both facilities are incredible and very efficiently run.
Our first stop was at the Brantford facility. The first thing that impressed me was the security clearance that was required to get into the facility. The next thing I realized was how clean their facilities were. They were also focusing on its fully hydroponic system for their Meridian flower, which is the most popular strain they have. Their lighting system used HPS bulbs and they had a drip irrigation system into a mineral wool block that is only used for stability and water absorption for the plant to directly absorb water and nutrients that are suspended in its support structure. Instead of needing to spray the plant, they use this pest that lives within finely chopped wood that only eats mites and other pests that eat the marijuana plant. They are the plants’ protectors!
You'll be happy to know that this facility has their own waste management systems so they don't need to farm it out to somebody else, Which they will be using to help make oils that should be hitting market at the end of May. They will be starting out with a CO2 extraction system and then eventually move to an ethanol extraction system so the plants natural terpenes can be recognized and utilized. The goal is to have their own line of vape cartridges.
A very interesting fact is that plants respond well to music, specially if it has more of an uplifting tone. So not only do the workers enjoy it, the plants do as well, while benefiting from it.
The Niagara facility was massive. As of now they have about 120,000 square feet of the current available 160,000 square feet of tray space (not floor space, but actually growing space) being used for production. The are now in the process of building and additional 160,000 square feet more of grow space (again, not floor space, but actual grow space). They aren’t even in their final form!
What’s really wild is that they have a water tank about the size of two Olympics swimming pools to collect their own water supply from rainwater off the roof. The plants respond best to rain water. They also produce no smell within the surrounding areas and have blackout shades to lower the light pollution so it doesn't affect those in the surrounding areas, especially at night. They are mindful of their neighbours.
A combination of natural light and artificial light. In summer months they are using almost all natural light, which is plenty. They use recycled rainwater systems to feed the plants on a Dutch tray style system where they move in a very regimented and systematic way that is managed by their head engineer who comes from the auto industry making effective and efficient automated processes. They take advantage of automation systems so their employees can focus on more valuable work and to make production more efficient and profitable. The areas that they grow their product in are advancing dramatically more to the point where they can grow thicker buds and greater production in smaller plants (requiring less resources and energy). Their humidity and temperature conditions are managed perfectly. Their HVAC and circulatory systems keep their climate better than most facilities. An indoor growing room is used entirely for the mothers that relies 100% on artificial lighting and has super clean conditions. They also have a neat machine that is able to separate the product to the correct weight into the containers all by automation.
There seems like there is a lot of energy working towards a clear vision. In my opinion, I think Newstrike and UP Cannabis have the best chance of creating brand loyalty in Canada. We all know The Tragically Hip are owners within the company, which gives them the unique ability to connect with the public due to their already established brand and connection to Canada. UP Cannabis has a tremendous marketing advantage over virtually all growers within Canada.
Bottom line, due to the efficiency of systems, automation, and ideal growing conditions, you can expect that margins will only increase in the future as their processes continuously improve and their capacity to grow expands.