Super-regional, cannabis growth operator Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (“Schwazze” or the “Company”) announces the appointment of three key leaders to support the company’s significant expansion in its New Mexico operations.
Steve Pear joins Schwazze as its New Mexico Division President. He comes from Vancouver-based Happy Gut Brands, Inc, where he recently served as CEO. Pear is a graduate of the University of Georgia, spending a significant portion of his career in the Southeast and Midwest working for Coca-Cola Enterprises before moving into national sales roles working for formidable beverage companies. At Coors and Miller-Coors, he served as Vice President, National Sales and later, moved onto Odwalla where he eventually became President, General Manager after working in both sales and operations. Following his time at Odwalla, Pear served as CEO for Cheribundi for over five years building a high-performance culture overseeing: sales, operations, marketing, supply chain, manufacturing, finance and human resources.
Two additional key leaders – Alex Falter-Hahn and Jacob White – have joined Schwazze’s New Mexico operating team, transitioning from R. Greenleaf and Associates, LLC (“RGA”).
Falter-Hahn joins Schwazze as Vice President, Operational Excellence. She is a proud New Mexican who has spent the last eight years working as the Chief Financial Officer of RGA. She has overseen financial development, human resources, compliance, and operations. Falter-Hahn is a graduate of the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management and has spent her career working for various accounting firms, while focusing on local business development.
White joins Schwazze as Vice President Cultivation and Product Development. He has called New Mexico home for the last 12 years while working in the New Mexican medical cannabis industry. White started his career in cannabis in 2009 on the retail side where he opened Albuquerque’s first medical dispensary. In 2011, Jacob joined R. Greenleaf Organics focusing on cultivation, setting the standard for quality cannabis flower and obtaining the highest quarterly yields in the state.
“These three key additions to our New Mexico senior leadership team are critical to our expansion across Colorado borders. Pear, Falter-Hahn and White bring cross functional leadership to our New Mexico operations, and we are fortunate to have them on our team,” said Nirup Krishnamurthy, Chief Operating Officer of Schwazze. “We are excited to be part of New Mexico’s transition to the cannabis recreational market and to leverage our deep experience in the Colorado market to bring the best variety of quality products with great service to our customers in New Mexico.“
“I’m extremely excited to be joining Schwazze and leading the division in New Mexico. We have a solid foundation that we look to build upon in preparation for the adult use launch on April 1, 2022,” said Steve Pear, President of Schwazze’s New Mexico division.
R. Greenleaf is a licensed medical cannabis provider with ten dispensaries, four cultivation facilities – three operating and one in development – and one manufacturing location. The dispensaries are located in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Roswell, Las Cruces, Grants and Las Vegas, New Mexico. Greenleaf’s approximately 70,000 square feet of cultivation as well as 6,000 square feet of manufacturing space are located in Albuquerque. The State of New Mexico currently allows medical cannabis and has approved adult use recreational cannabis sales which by law begin no later than April 2022. The New Mexico market is expected to grow approximately 300% in the next 5 years. (1)
| (1) | BDSA estimate |
