Botanist Organic Growers announced its purchase of Pineland Forest Nursery from the Province of Manitoba, which the company will convert this spring to become what they claim is the largest indoor organic hemp cannabidiol (CBD) producer in the world.
The property covers more than 300 acres in the RM of Reynolds, Manitoba and includes more than 300,000 square feet of greenhouse and research facilities, some of which Botanist Organic Growers will begin using immediately with the first crop in production in the months ahead. Botanist Organic Growers expects to hire up to 200 people over the next three years, while investing tens of millions in developing the enterprise into a complete seed-to-sale company. The company will operate cultivation, extraction and research facilities and will also employ personnel in marketing, sales and management roles.
"We're excited to be investing in Manitoba. The global CBD industry is still new but is expected to grow exponentially around the world in the next few years. Our goal is to make Manitoba at the centre of that international expansion," said Jeremy Towning, CEO and co-founder of Botanist Organic Growers. "This facility offers everything we need to begin building a global leader. We look forward to engaging local growers, businesses and educational institutions to expand our operation and revolutionize this promising industry."
The company's first crops will be produced using indoor greenhouse facilities, allowing it to more easily offer a fully organic product. Eventually, the company plans to expand production to the surrounding fields and anticipates working with area farmers for additional production in the future.
"Our vision is to build a seed-to-sales operation with high value jobs in research, production and management here in Manitoba," said Duncan Gordon, Chair and co-founder of Botanist Organic Growers. "It's very satisfying to bring this level of investment back to my home province. We identified this facility and Manitoba as an ideal location from which to lead the CBD industry. It's rare to find such a large and excellent greenhouse operation ready to go. We will become the world's largest indoor producer almost overnight."
Botanist Organic Growers was co-founded by Gordon and Towning. A former Winnipegger, Gordon has spent nearly 20 years running a financial advisory practice in British Columbia. He has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in capital for companies across a number of sectors, commodities, geographical boundaries and is well versed with different sources of financing. Towning comes to Botanist from the commercial real estate sector where he was an executive involved in all facets of the development and construction industry. Together, they are supported by a core team of advisors and investors, and expect to begin hiring additional personnel almost immediately.