If you have a penchant for Borism’s you’ll want to listen/ read this interview
Curaleaf approached Aurora Cannabis privately in June and again in July before going public on August 11 with a proposed takeover offer initially valued at $4 per share. Aurora responded by forming a special committee to review the bid and disputed Curaleaf’s account of the earlier negotiations.
With the offer now on the table, the central question is what Curaleaf sees in Aurora that makes the acquisition worth pursuing.
To understand the economics behind the bid, IgniteIt sat down with Curaleaf Chairman and CEO Boris Jordan for an exclusive interview covering Aurora’s cultivation assets, genetics, European distribution, premium medical cannabis, production efficiency, margins, vertical integration and the scale Curaleaf believes it needs internationally.
“It’s going to get us to about $490 million of revenue with a fully vertical chain,” Jordan said about the potential acquisition.
What Curaleaf Thinks It Can Do With Aurora
The first piece is operational.
Jordan argues that Curaleaf could get considerably more out of Aurora’s existing business without fundamentally changing what makes the company attractive.
“We would change quite a few things at Aurora,” Jordan said.
He pointed first to genetics. Curaleaf would introduce genetics developed in the U.S. into Aurora’s cultivation operation while combining the companies’ respective genetics teams. It would also push Aurora products through markets where Curaleaf already has distribution infrastructure, including the UK, as well as other international markets where Aurora has less presence.
Then there are the facilities themselves.
“We would immediately make their facilities more efficient,” he said, arguing Curaleaf could substantially increase capacity from comparable cultivation space.
He also sees room in SG&A. Jordan said Aurora’s SG&A runs around 50% of revenue compared with approximately 30% at Curaleaf, another area where he believes a combination could improve profitability.
When asked where the largest savings would actually come from, however, Jordan did not point primarily to layoffs.
Instead, he returned to cultivation, marketing and distribution.
and so on and so forth
Exclusive: Boris Jordan Explains the Economics Behind Curaleaf’s Aurora Bid
