November 2, 2021
First Ever Roundup of Companies that Proved Management Excellence across the Middle Market
4Front Ventures Corp. (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) (“4Front” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator and retailer, has been named in Inc.‘s first annual Best Led Companies list – a select, data-driven list of the strongest U.S. firms across the middle market, with annual revenues of $50 million to $2 billion, evaluated on a 12-point measure of management excellence. This novel program is the first Inc. recognition list to honor both public and private companies.
The final list recognizes 250 companies that are agile enough to maneuver but also big enough to have a broad impact. In total, these companies employ 35 million people, about one-fourth of the US workforce. All 250 have a successful track record of having leadership teams that spur solid performance, create value, penetrate markets, and engage with customers.
To be considered for the list, employees at each company had to fill out an application, answering questions about their company’s performance, executive team, and leadership. Applicants were then analyzed via an algorithm that identified the very best companies according to their leadership teams’ superlative accomplishments in four key areas: performance and value creation; market penetration and customer engagement; talent; and leadership team.
“This inaugural list represents the remarkable mid-sized companies, both public and private, often founder-led, that are at the vanguard of reinventing American business,” said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. magazine. “With their leadership, all businesses will benefit from an exciting, competitive future full of possibilities.”
“After putting in more than a decade of hard work and becoming one of the world’s most efficient cannabis companies out there, we are honored to be included in Inc.‘s first annual Best Led Companies list,” said 4Front CEO Leo Gontmakher. “We have remained focused on our mission of developing and delivering an unmatched family of brands, superior cannabis genetics, and innovative production and cultivation methodologies. Most importantly, we’ve always stayed true to our belief of doing business the right way. Our people are our greatest asset. Not only are they great at what they do – they’re even better at who they are. As we continue to make strategic moves in the cannabis sector, we will continue to be fueled by our people’s leadership skills and passion and our shared support for the therapeutic potential of the cannabis plant.”
To compile the list, Inc. evaluated public and private U.S.–based companies with a 2020 revenue of $50 million to $2 billion or a valuation of $50 million to $10 billion, by using a proprietary 12-point measure of management excellence, which was generated with input from partners at Pitchbook and Shango Labs.
Since it was founded, in 2011, 4Front’s team of experienced professionals, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, advocates, and out-of-the-box thinkers have been advancing the future of cannabis. With operations and facilities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and managed facilities in Washington, the Company makes some of the world’s best cannabis products. In the last decade, 4Front’s R&D team has researched and developed more than 20 different cannabis brands and 1,800 different cannabis-infused products.
Recently, 4Front commenced operations at one of the largest, most efficient cannabis manufacturing facilities in the world, in Commerce, California. The 170,000 sq. ft. facility (the “Commerce Facility” or “Facility”) is manufacturing both in-house and partner brands, with product categories including infused pre-rolls, gummies, hard candies, fruit chews, caramels, mints, soft gel capsules, vapes, tinctures, and other manufactured infused products. Earlier this year, 4Front also closed the first phase of its multiphase expansion project to build an up to 558,000 sq. ft. cultivation-and-production facility (the “Facility”) in the Village of Matteson, Illinois, located outside of Chicago.
Gontmakher added, “Advancing cannabis is at the heart of everything we do. From superior genetics to proven cultivation and manufacturing methodologies to streamlined packaging and distribution to our consumer-first retail approach, we will continue to be committed to fostering a better cannabis industry for everyone.”
To see the complete list, visit https://www.inc.com/best-led-companies.
The November issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine and will be on newsstands beginning November 9, 2021.
For more information, visit https://4frontventures.com and https://missiondispensaries.com/.
About Inc.
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc., offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across various channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 allows the founders of the best businesses to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About 4Front Ventures Corp.
4Front Ventures Corp. (“4Front” or the “Company”) (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) is a national, vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator who owns or manages operations and facilities in strategic medical and adult-use cannabis markets, including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington. Since its founding in 2011, 4Front has built a strong reputation for its high standards and low-cost cultivation and production methodologies earned through a track record of success in facility design, cultivation, genetics, growing processes, manufacturing, purchasing, distribution, and retail. To date, 4Front has successfully brought to market more than 20 different cannabis brands and over 1800 products, which are strategically distributed through its fully owned and operated Mission dispensaries and retail outlets in its core markets. As the Company continues to drive value for its shareholders, its team is applying its decade of expertise in the sector across the cannabis industry value chain and ecosystem. For more information, visit https://4frontventures.com/.
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 or if transactions will close or if/when required conditions to closing are attained, the impact of the transactions on the business of 4Front 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 satisfying closing conditions, [obtaining regulatory approvals]; and engagement in activities currently considered illegal under U.S. federal laws; change in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; 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.
