SugarBud Provides Operational and Corporate Updates

CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SugarBud Craft Growers Corp. (TSXV:SUGR, SUGR.WT) ("SugarBud" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a comprehensive update on the progress of the Stavely, AB facility construction, licensing status and corporate developments, including management changes.

Construction and Licensing Update

Stavely, AB Facility

Construction of Phase 1a of our 30,000-square-foot Stavely indoor facility is now substantially complete and fully occupied. Phase 1a includes 2 dedicated flower rooms with a combined annual cultivation design capacity of between 3,300 – 3,890 kg per year. Regulatory approval for Phase 1a is expected to occur in Q3 2019. Our operating team in Stavely is currently engaged in the final site preparations necessary to support our initial scale up cultivation activities following receipt of our license.

“We are pleased with the progress that our operational and regulatory teams are making in preparation for our initial scale up activities. The teams continue to execute against our plan very well and we remain confident that we are on track to receive our initial cultivation license in Q3 of this year,” said John Kondrosky, Chief Executive Officer of SugarBud.

SugarBud is also in the process of finalizing plans to complete the final fit out and licensing of the remaining 6 flower rooms at the Stavely Facility. Phase 1b and 1c encompass 3 additional flower rooms each, which will further expand the facility's cultivation design capacity by an additional 9,930 – 11,674 kg. At full operational levels the total facility cultivation design capacity for Phase 1 is expected to be between 13,230 – 15,565 kg per year.

Primary construction of these additional 6 rooms is complete and the remaining fit out will encompass the final installation of our vertical racking, irrigation, HVAC, environmental control and lighting systems. SugarBud plans to submit the license amendments for Phase 1b and 1c in early Q1 of 2020.

Corporate Update

Jeff Swainson, SugarBud's Chief Financial Officer, has made a personal decision to step down from his position effective as of today. SugarBud's Chairman, Dan Wilson, will assume the role of interim CFO. John Kondrosky, stated, "We are incredibly grateful for the leadership and many contributions Jeff has made to the success of SugarBud up to this point and we wish Jeff nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

Mr. Joseph Dietrich has resigned as a director of SugarBud as of today but will continue to contribute to the organization as a Special Advisor. Chairman, Dan Wilson, stated “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Joseph for all of his hard work and contributions to SugarBud as a member of the Board of Directors, and look forward to working with Joseph in his new capacity to advance the SugarBud vision and mission.”

SugarBud is pleased to announce that Bob Lawrence has joined SugarBud as Vice President of Operations.

Mr. Lawrence joins SugarBud with more than 20 years of experience in the premium and craft segments of the highly regulated and competitive brewing industry. Prior to joining SugarBud, Mr. Lawrence was the Senior Vice President of Operations for the PEI Brewing Company. "As we continue to build and expand our team, we look for passionate and driven individuals that embody the SugarBud values and commitment to high-quality products and services," said John Kondrosky, Chief Executive Officer of SugarBud. "Operating efficiencies and discipline are critical to the success of SugarBud, and Bob’s demonstrated leadership and experience will most certainly have an immediate and positive impact on our operating results moving forward.”

About SugarBud

SugarBud is an Alberta-based publicly traded cannabis company engaged in the development, acquisition, production and distribution of cannabis in Canada.

Investor Relations Contact
Gary Perkins, President
Tekkfund Capital Corp.
Tel: (416) 882-0020
E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.sugarbud.ca/

Address: Suite 620, 634 - 6th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2P 0S4
Telephone: 403-532-4466
Fax: 587-955-9668

Forward Looking and Cautionary Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, and without limitation, this news release contains statements concerning: the Company’s assessment of future plans and operations; the receipt of a cultivation license from Health Canada and the timing thereof; the cultivation of cannabis at the Stavely facility; construction of additional flower rooms and the scale thereof; estimates regarding cannabis crop capacity, yield and frequency in respect of the initial phase of the facility and subsequent phases; cultivation equipment and technologies; management changes; and operating efficiencies. When used in this document, the words “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intent,” “may,” “project,” “should,” and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are founded on the basis of expectations and assumptions made by the Company that include, but are not limited to, the timely receipt of all required regulatory and third-party approvals, including cultivation and sales licenses from Health Canada. Forward-looking statements are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties, and although the Company believes that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will be realized. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to: regulatory and third party approvals, including receipt of cultivation and sales licenses from Health Canada, not being obtained in the manner or timing anticipated; the ability to implement corporate strategies; the state of domestic capital markets; the ability to obtain financing; changes in general market conditions; industry conditions and events; the size of the medical marijuana market and the recreational marijuana market; government regulations, including future legislative and regulatory developments involving medical and recreational marijuana; construction delays; risks inherent in the agricultural business, such as insects, plant diseases and similar agricultural risks which can have a significant impact on the size and quality of the harvest of cannabis crops; competition from other industry participants; and other factors more fully described from time to time in the reports and filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities. Please refer to the Company’s annual information form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2017 and management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) for the three months ended March 31, 2019 for additional risk factors relating to the Company. The AIF and MD&A can be accessed under the Company’s profile on www.sedar.com. 

This news release contains future-oriented financial information and financial outlook information (collectively, “FOFI”) about SugarBud’s prospective results of operations, future cannabis production capacity and operating efficiencies, all of which are subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations, and qualifications as set forth in the above paragraphs. FOFI contained in this document was approved by management as of the date of this document and was provided for the purpose of providing further information about SugarBud’s future business operations. SugarBud disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any FOFI contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required pursuant to applicable law. Readers are cautioned that the FOFI contained in this document should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein.

Except as required by applicable laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSXV nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.