Future of Cannabis: Made By Plus
Plus launched in 2015 with their unique product offering: one of the first cannabis-infused chewing gums. They represent the future of cannabis in so many different ways that we just had to cover them in our #FutureOfCannabis series. They have a great team that has seemed to prioritize all the right things and they’re taking a data driven approach to just about every aspect of their business. Since launching the infused chewing gum in 2015 they’ve expanded their product line to offer gummies and sour gummies. Roy McFarland, Plus’ Co-Founder and COO was kind enough to answer a few questions for us. Read the exclusive interview below to gain insight into Plus Products’ future plans, what’s missing in the industry, and the impact on California passing Prop 64.
Describe and recap 2016 as it relates to Plus.
2016 was hectic. Some of the challenges we faced included: scaling production to meet demand for our SKUs, and doubling headcount across the company, which can be stressful as people take on new roles and managerial responsibilities. During the past year, we’ve spent considerable energy designing and implementing scalable systems and procedures to support continuing growth in 2017.
Does the passage of prop 64 in California have an impact on your business?
Yes — Prop 64 will impact our company in many ways. For me, the key takeaways are that Californians embrace our industry and support a regulated and transparent marketplace.
As an executive of a cannabis infused brand you likely have some KPI’s that you’re measuring–what are they?
We measure almost every part of our business through a variety of tools and different methods. Here’s a few: Customer Satisfaction, Product Quality and Safety (QA + QC), Employee Morale, Manufacturing Capacity Utilization Rates, Production Volume Growth, Cycle Times, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Machine Uptime, Sales Growth and Marketshare.
What is the cannabis-infused landscape missing that you’d like to see more of today?
Banking solutions. Secure and reliable transport of raw materials (e.g., flower) and finished goods (e.g., vape pens) between collectives.
What are you most excited about in 2017?
Continuing to scale our manufacturing operations. Growing the team at Plus, investing in our people and executing our goals.
We first covered Plus as one of our 2016 cannabis infused brands to watch and they have more than exceeded expectations–it’s 2017 now, but they’re defintely still a brand to watch.
