PHOENIX , March 15, 2021 /CNW/ - 4Front Ventures Corp. (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) (" 4Front " or the " Company ") announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements with both the land owner and an affiliate of Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc., (" IIPR" ) to build an up to 558,000 square foot cultivation and production facility in Illinois . This would mark the largest such facility in the state to date. In summary, the agreements provide for IIPR to acquire the land for $6.5m and fund the approximately $45m buildout of phase one of the facility which will be leased back to 4Front in the form of a 20-year lease with two five-year extensions at the Company's option. Closing of the transaction is subject to securing appropriate county and state incentives, completion of standard due diligence, and other customary closing conditions.
4Front continues to penetrate in key adult-use markets with its proven portfolio of high-quality, affordable products. While the Company has already experienced significant success in Illinois through their Mission-branded dispensaries and existing cultivation-only facility, it is excited with the scope and scale of this new facility which will enable it to now introduce its full array of products into the market and catapult it to a top player in the State.
"Our thesis is simple." noted 4Front CEO Leo Gontmakher , "Bring tried-and-true cultivation and manufacturing methods from Washington State to large adult-use markets like Massachusetts , Illinois and California . Washington State was and is a highly competitive battleground in which our facilities, over a six year period, honed processes to achieve significant efficiencies and cost savings across a wide array of products. It is over this period that our facilities were forced to learn how to make high quality product at below industry cost, enabling significant profitability despite plummeting wholesale prices. Over the last 18 months, we have had significant success transitioning our three cultivation/manufacturing facilities in Illinois and Massachusetts into the 'Washington Way'." Gontmakher continued, "Cultivation yields now meet or exceed those from our Washington facilities (greater than 370 grams/square foot and as high as 500 grams/square foot in Worcester ) and our manufactured products have retained a similar cost structure to that of Washington . We are also thrilled with the demand for our high-quality, affordable manufactured products introduced in Massachusetts over the last year. We are incredibly excited and ready to compete at a larger scale in Illinois ."
The first phase of the buildout will constitute 258,000 square feet of building, comprising 65,000 square feet of flowering canopy and approximately 70,000 square feet of manufacturing space for the development of 4Front's branded flower, edibles, tinctures, concentrates and other manufactured products. Phase 1 is expected to be operational by Q4 2022.
The subsequent phase(s) of the buildout will add an additional 300,000 square feet of facility to meet market demand. 4Front plans to hire more than 240 employees to its cultivation and production teams during Phase 1.
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About 4Front Ventures Corp.
4Front (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) is a national multi-state cannabis operator and retailer, with a market advantage in mass-produced, low-cost quality branded cannabis products. 4Front manufactures and distributes a portfolio of over 25 cannabis brands including Marmas, Crystal Clear , Funky Monkey, Pebbles, and the Pure Ratios wellness collection, distributed through retail outlets and their chain of strategically positioned Mission branded dispensaries.
Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona , 4Front has operations in Illinois , Massachusetts , California , Michigan , and Washington state . From plant genetics to the cannabis retail experience, 4Front's team applies expertise across the entire cannabis value chain. For more information, visit 4Front's website www.4frontventures.com .
This news release was prepared by management of 4Front Ventures, which takes full responsibility for its contents. The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States . The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in 4Front Ventures' periodic filings with securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements related to future developments and the business and operations of 4Front Ventures, statements regarding when transactions will close or if/when required approvals are attained or conditions to closing are satisfied, the timing of buildout and hiring of new employees, the introduction of product into markets, market conditions, the Company's market share and demand for its products, the Company's ability to enter into and be successful in other markets, and other statements regarding future developments of the business.
Although 4Front Ventures has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals and satisfaction of conditions to closing; investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal under U.S. federal laws; change in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing including in connection with subsequent phases of the buildout, the availability of employees, market acceptance of and demand for the Company's products, the impact of COVID-19 on the proposed buildout and the Company's operations; competition; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political change.
There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. 4Front Ventures disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and 4Front Ventures does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.
SOURCE 4Front Ventures Corp.
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