Southern Glazer’s has made the distribution of cannabis, officially, respectable. It was only a matter of time, a short one, before the alcohol industry, a mainly finely tuned machine comprising well-trained sales reps. and seasoned division managers, would take over the existing and disorganized world of cannabis distribution.
The cannabis industry is today, what the alcohol industry was straight after Prohibition. A lot of gatekeepers have suddenly been relieved of their duties and replaced with smooth-running, well-oiled distribution models. In other words, we all saw this coming.
Great North Distributors, Inc., a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (“Southern Glazer’s”) signed an agreement for Great North Distributors to serve as exclusive manufacturer’s representative for Aphria’s adult-use cannabis products throughout Canada, following the legalization of recreational cannabis for adult-“use anticipated later this year.
Under the terms of the agreement, Great North Distributors will be Aphria’s exclusive cannabis representative in Canada. The first-of-its kind deal gives Aphria 100% coverage of all cannabis retailers, whether provincially or privately operated, across Canada from the first day of legal adult-use sales.
“Our decision to become the first beverage alcohol distributor to facilitate the legal distribution of cannabis in Canada reinforces our innovative, first-mover position in the industry. We are thrilled to partner with cannabis industry leader Aphria, and to leverage our experience and expertise to ensure the efficient, legal, and safe distribution of cannabis in Canada.”
— Doug Wieland, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Canada.
“With this agreement, Aphria has established an unparalleled sales network, and will hit the ground running from the very first day of legal adult-use sales,” said Jakob Ripshtein, Chief Commercial Officer of Aphria. “Great North Distributors provides us with an experienced, dedicated team with a proven track record of driving sales and exceptional performance across all provinces. This deal will ensure that Aphria’s brands and products are proudly represented by cannabis retailers throughout the country.”
As a subsidiary of Southern Glazer’s, North America’s largest wine and spirits distributor, Great North Distributors has reach across every province across Canada, including established relationships and expertise in working with provincially owned and operated retailers and private retailers alike. Great North Distributors will establish a dedicated cannabis sales team that will be responsible for acting as the selling agent of Aphria’s broad portfolio of adult-use cannabis brands and products to provincial retailers throughout Canada, from the most populated cities to the most remote locations.
Doug Wieland, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Canada commented on the ground-breaking deal, “Our decision to become the first beverage alcohol distributor to facilitate the legal distribution of cannabis in Canada reinforces our innovative, first-mover position in the industry. We are thrilled to partner with cannabis industry leader Aphria, and to leverage our experience and expertise to ensure the efficient, legal, and safe distribution of cannabis in Canada.”
Southern Glazer’s will apply its industry-leading data analytics capabilities to the new cannabis industry, providing Aphria with a powerful data-driven approach to cannabis sales through its new subsidiary, Great North Distributors.
“Aphria is committed to being the premier cannabis company in Canada and around the world, and this strategic relationship brings us one step closer to reaching our goal,” said Vic Neufeld, CEO of Aphria. “We’re delighted to have Great North Distributors dedicated to our business. This deal enables us to fully execute on our adult-use strategy from day one, and we know that Great North Distributors has the right resources and expertise to allow us to capitalize on the opportunities in the industry on a national scale.”
