Reason for Delays re. EU GMP CertificationStarting in early 2019, Valens included this text in the “About Valens Groworks” section of their press releases:
“Subsidiary Valens Farms is in the process of becoming a purpose-built facility in compliance with European Union (EU) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, ensuring the product from this facility can be exported anywhere in the world where Cannabis is nationally legal for medical or adult usage purposes.”
Then in May 2019, the text changed to this:
“Valens is the largest third-party extraction Company in Canada with an annual capacity of 425,000 kg of dried cannabis and hemp biomass at our purpose-built facility in Kelowna, British Columbia which is in the process of becoming European Union (EU) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant.”
In a presentation published on Youtube in March 2019, at about 3:25 into the presentation, Everett stated that “we’re actually just getting our EU-GMP certification that should come in the Q1 which will open up the doors not only in Canada but around the world”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHtyweTml_4 In yesterday's press release about the new office in Toronto, the "About Valens GroWorks" section, it says this: "Valens is the largest third-party extraction Company in
Canada with an annual capacity of 425,000 kg of dried cannabis and hemp biomass at our purpose-built facility in
Kelowna ,
British Columbia which is in the process of becoming European Union (EU) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant."
So I have to ask myself, what's causing the delay? We're now into Q3 and still no GMP certification.
I'm pretty sure I know the answer - it's the amount of renovation, expansion, and the introducton of new equipment to increase capacity, that's been occurring continuously at 230 Carion Road. GMP certification requires a stable facility that can host defined, repeatable processes with the right level of consistent quality. When there's renovation work going on, trades-people coming and going, new equipment being installed, it's like trying to hit a moving target.
I believe 230 Carion Road is now generally complete, and most or all of the present work is occurring in the new building next door. Being conservative, Valens is now targetting GMP certification by the end of the year.