Delta 9 Cannabis Inc (TSX:DN) has announced various cost-cutting measures as a part of its 2023 strategic plan with the goal of producing positive cash flow from operations.
As a part of the plan, the company said it aims to streamline its cultivation operations and right-size capacity at its Winnipeg-based cultivation facilities, as well as various other cost-cutting measures including reducing public company and investor relations costs.
“Delta 9’s retail operations have achieved profitability and positive operating cash flows over the past several years,” Delta 9 chief operating officer Mark Jonker said in a statement. “Our cultivation and wholesale cannabis operations have struggled with profitability due to continued price and margin compression in the Canadian cannabis market. Our decision is designed to significantly reduce costs and to chart a near-term path to becoming positive cash flow from operations."
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As a part of the plan to reduce operating costs by $3 million to $4 million in 2023, Delta 9 said cultivation capacity at its Winnipeg-based cultivation facilities will be cut by approximately 40%, which will include a temporary layoff of approximately 40 staff. The plan has been developed to ensure that there is no material impact on wholesale revenues or on shipments to the company’s wholesale and retail customers, it added.
“We recognize that in the current market environment we need to make near-term strides to improve profitability across our operations,” the company’s chief financial officer Jim Lawson added. “The board of directors and executive have also agreed to reducing compensation as part of their commitment to achieving positive cash flows from operations in the current fiscal year.”
The company said it is working closely with employees to reduce the impact of this decision including continuing to cover costs for company benefits and other transitional services. Retail operations will not be impacted as a part of this plan, it said.
“I would like to thank the employees affected by this decision for their invaluable contributions to Delta 9’s success and growth,” CEO John Arbuthnot concluded. “This was a very difficult decision, but it is a key component of executing on our strategic plan and one we believe best positions Delta 9 for profitable growth."
Delta 9 Cannabis is a vertically integrated cannabis company focused on bringing the highest quality cannabis products to market. The company sells cannabis products through its wholesale and retail sales channels and sells its cannabis grow pods to other businesses.
Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Delta 9 Bio-Tech Inc, is a licensed producer of medical and recreational cannabis and operates an 80,000-square-foot production facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Delta 9 owns and operates a chain of retail stores under the Delta 9 Cannabis Store brand.
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