Tinley Signs w~ Great North Distributors for Canadian Distr THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS.
LOS ANGELES and TORONTO, Nov. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Tinley Beverage Company Inc. (the “Company" or "Tinley") is delighted to announce that it has signed an agreement with Great North Distributors, Inc. ("Great North"), Canada's first national sales broker for legalized adult-use cannabis, to distribute Tinley’s award-winning cannabis beverages throughout Canada.
Great North is the exclusive distributor for other leading brands including Aphria and Pasha Brands. Tinley represents the first U.S. brand in Great North’s portfolio.
Great North will give Tinley access to its nationwide sales and distribution network, which includes experienced sales and marketing teams, established relationships with all government cannabis distribution boards, as well as coverage with Canada's numerous private retailers. Great North applies industry-leading data analytics capabilities from the wine and spirits industry to the new cannabis industry, providing suppliers with a powerful data-driven approach to cannabis sales.
“Great North’s team hails from my largest competitor during my tenure as President of Young’s Market Company, the Western USA’s second-largest beverage alcohol distributor,” said Richard Gillis, President of Tinley, Western USA. “I’m therefore keenly aware of their formidable processes, team expertise and marketplace execution. I’m delighted to have this caliber of service representing us to drive widespread distribution of our cannabis beverages in Canada.”
Doug Wieland, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits of Canada and Great North Distributors, remarked, “Tinley has the unique advantage of having cannabis beverages already in market in California, and therefore has honed its formulas, dosages, packaging solutions, science, scaled manufacturing best practices, marketing scripts and brand message. These learnings will prove invaluable in providing Canadians with the same acclaimed products that are currently being enjoyed in California.”
This is the first in a series of agreements that Tinley is negotiating with companies in the Canadian cannabis industry, including a Health Canada licenced manufacturer. Before any of Tinley’s products may be sold in Canada, Tinley will need to reach an agreement with at least one Health Canada licenced manufacturer to provide raw cannabis materials and manufacture Tinley’s beverages. Additionally, Tinley’s beverages, along with its packaging and labelling, must be approved by Health Canada before the beverages will be legally permitted to be sold in Canada. There can be no assurance that these products will be approved by Health Canada, and Tinley may be required to make changes to its packaging, labelling, dosages and formulae of its current beverages manufactured and sold in California to comply with Canadian regulations.
With the Great North agreement for sales and distribution in place, Tinley is in a position to consummate its negotiations with the licensed manufacturer for product manufacturing, and it is presently in advanced-stage discussions with such a company. Simultaneous to these discussions, the Company is beginning the sales process with Canada’s various cannabis boards. Tinley is modelling this series of agreements based on practices learned through its operations in California, which provide Tinley access to raw cannabis materials, while ensuring manufacturing is executed by leading bottling and operational professionals.
About Great North Distributors
Great North Distributors, Inc. is Canada’s first national sales broker for legalized adult-use cannabis. Established by the owners of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the world’s preeminent distributor for beverage alcohol, Great North Distributors has reach across every province in Canada, including established relationships and expertise in working with provincially owned and operated retailers and private retailers alike. Great North applies industry-leading data analytics capabilities from the wine and spirits industry to the new cannabis industry, providing suppliers with a powerful data-driven approach to cannabis sales.