A Clearview Township cannabis plant is closing up shop. Shocked employees of Peace naturals on the 12th line near Stayner have been told the place will be wound down by the end of the year. A news release issued by the plant’s owner Cronos Group says it will exit the Peace Naturals campus.
The plant was licensed in 2013, and according to the company’s website, was a centre of excellence involved in indoor cultivation, processing, packaging and shipping.
The owner Cronos Group, issued the following news release Tuesday:
Following a careful evaluation of the Company’s global supply chain, the Company has announced today the planned exit of its Peace Naturals Campus in Stayner, Ontario, Canada.
Cronos Group will continue to operate the Peace Naturals Campus with a phased reduction and transition of activities with a planned exit by the end of 2022. Various research and development initiatives, inclusive of cannabinoid formulation, product development, tissue culture and micropropagation will continue across multiple facilities available to Cronos Group.
Continuing to optimize and maintain an agile supply chain is a core element of Cronos Group’s strategy. Importantly, Cronos Group has focused on building joint ventures and partnerships around the world with best-in-class operators, such as Cronos GrowCo (“GrowCo”) the Company’s joint venture with leading Canadian large-scale greenhouse operators. As GrowCo has developed its capabilities, it has become an important component of the Company’s biomass supply. Cronos Group looks forward to leveraging GrowCo’s capabilities in premium flower cultivation and efficient downstream processing, with the intention to improve profitability of the Company’s Canadian operations. Cronos Group intends to obtain a sales license from Health Canada at GrowCo’s facility to maintain the Company’s customer relationships and ability to continue supplying the Canadian market. In addition to further leveraging its joint venture with GrowCo, Cronos Group will continue to maintain a network of third-party licensed producers to supplement its cultivation and manufacturing needs.
As a result of the Company’s planned exit from the Peace Naturals Campus, the Company has incurred a $119.9 million non-cash impairment charge on long-lived assets in the fourth quarter of 2021. In addition, the Company expects to incur charges of approximately $4.5 million in connection with the planned exit, all of which impact the ROW segment. These charges include employee-related costs, such as severance, relocation and other termination benefits, as well as contract termination and other related costs, which are expected to be incurred primarily in the second half of 2022. In addition, the Company anticipates capital expenditures of approximately $2.5 million to modernize information technology systems and build distribution capabilities.
