The INDIVA LTD. Public Listing could happen as early as Monday December 11th 2017, as the expected closure of the Rainmaker Resources Ltd (V:RIR) reverse takeover could occur on Friday. The public listing name will subsequently change to INDIVA Limited.
Based in London, Ontario, INDIVA’s facilities are great to look at. Clean and secure is an understatement, but looks can only say so much. When INDIVA Ltd. contracted me to report on their cannabis production company I was overjoyed. I have been tracking the rise of Canadian cannabis for some time and am ready to share my INDIVA Ltd. experience with my fellow Canadian investors.
INDIVA is all about their methodical planning and on-point execution. The brand focus is on strain genetics, product quality and client care. Their “good growth” philosophy applies to the business as well as the product and extends from the board of directors on down. After my initial interview, I was intrigued to say the least, as to how this company aiming to be the best, was set to go about getting there.
It seems the licenced cannabis industry is currently one large mergers and acquisitions arena. There is no shortage of M&A interaction in all aspects of cannabis production. So much so that it seems to be one large interwoven web, with companies fighting to become the biggest and most capable producer in the game. For example, Aurora (ACB) recently aimed a take-over bid at CanniMed (CMED), while at the same time CanniMed (CMED) was busy integrating Up Cannabis Inc. by acquiring its parent company, Newstrike (V.HIP). CanniMed (CMED) even went live on a webcast on November 20th 2017 to brand its newest acquisition the birth of a “Premiere Global Cannabis Company”. All the while they were fighting off the hostile take-over bid from Aurora (ACB). This type of action makes one wonder how these companies are able to keep their branding consistent and also ensure product quality so that consistency doesn’t suffer.
In the beginning, many pioneering cannabis companies set out in uncertain climates to say the least. Long term planning was near impossible if the company wanted to stay competitive. The result was that companies who could secure opportunistic equity and leverage market movements the fastest, turned out to be the “winners”. Now these same companies are scrambling to find scalable investment opportunities that enable them to make use of the easy supply of investment cash they have access to. This has led many companies into resorting to going after quick returns by converting low grade flower to cannabis concentrates. This is also a way to combat the quality control issues that arose from varied and diversified production facilities.
Even with these large companies out in front, newer companies are still finding ways to enter the industry by avoiding the pitfalls experienced by those before them. In short, focusing on concise long-term planning which utilizes the market gaps that allow for easier entry points. By skipping over the rush to achieve the largest economies of scale through mergers and acquisitions, these companies are taking it slow and making all the right moves to expand without putting product quality in jeopardy. After all, repeat customers can separate a business from it’s competitors and allow for sustainable growth.
Due to the equity driven M&A frenzy that has gripped the industry, it is rare to see many quiet growth companies being publicly traded, especially with a D/E ratio high enough to be noticed. One such company is Supreme (V:FIRE) at 0.62 D/E ratio held two quarters in a row. Supreme prides itself on taking the “high road” by providing only high quality cannabis, even though the cost is higher than the big boys at $2.50/gram. This is a tactic that could end up paying off because many larger producers have switched to gathering immediate returns on turning low cost flower into concentrates. This has left a large gap in the market that smaller companies can fill with high quality dried cannabis flower. One part of INDIVA Ltd.’s strategy seems to be taking a similar approach, as the company anticipates equity investors will see the unrealized value from returns left by the gaps being created in the market. INDIVA Ltd. knows what it wants to do with its investment capital, unlike many larger producers who have run out of expansionist plays to chase. INIDIVA Ltd. knows that slow and steady often wins the race, especially when looking at branding and growth long term. However, the best play for investors is to find a company that benefits from short term mergers and acquisitions as well as long term brand growing. INDIVA Ltd. ticks a lot of investors boxes because the company has a detailed plan and is ready to produce high quality product to provide a client first brand. At the same time, with their facilities already at scale, the property (and company) are an ideal buy-out target once the market begins to roll. INDIVA Ltd. seems like a great cannabis company for investors to watch and consider making a play on.
