afi: cse iaf: frankfurt rssff: otcqb

AFI: CSE
IAF: FRANKFURT
RSSFF: OTCQB
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DISCLAIMER
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Disclaimer - Confidential Draft, For Discussion Purposes Only • This presentation and its appendices (together the “Presentation”) have been prepared and delivered by AFFINOR GROWERS. (“AFI” or the “Company”).
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such by the nature of any forward looking statement, relying on such statements involves risk.
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accordingly, neither AFFINOR GROWERS nor any subsidiary undertakings or any such person’s affiliates, officers, employees, accepts any liability whatsoever
arising directly or indirectly from the use of this Presentation or the information included herein.
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• The Presentation speaks and reflects prevailing conditions and views as of April 2014. It may be subject to corrections and change at any time without
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AFFINOR: Transformation to a higher order
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A ‘perfect storm’ has formed to make
food security one of the preeminent
challenges facing humankind.
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. . .”the dramatic rise in global food prices poses a
threat to global food and nutrition security.”
- The High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis
and the World Health Organization
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Mission
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Statement
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Affinor Growers (AFI) is a biotechnology company that is committed to solving the
world’s food security problems with proprietary growing and cultivating systems
capable of producing fresh, non-GMO delicious foods and nutraceutical / medicinal
foods without pesticides or dangerous chemicals with near zero water waste.
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Globalization of Growing with Vertical Farms
Efficient production utilizing minimum space and a quick growth system yielding
maximum production per square foot
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The Dark Side of Strawberries
Testing on US grown strawberries found 54 different pesticide residues: !
9 known Cancer causing carcinogens
24 suspected Hormone disruptors
11 Neurotoxins
12 Developmental or reproductive toxins
19 honeybee toxins. Plus . . . Fungicides, captan and pyraclostrobin
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OPPORTUNITY
Affinor’s mission is to industrialize and automate a
profitable system to mass-produce nutrient-rich foods,
free of pesticides and chemicals.
"I sampled a 53 gram fully vine-ripened
strawberry produced by Affinor, and it was
better than another strawberry I have ever
tasted, including our local summer berries."
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-­‐ Rick Easthom, former Manager of Retail Development for Choices Markets/Financial Press
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OPPORTUNITY
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• Affinor’s mission is to industrialize and automate a profitable system to mass
produce nutrient-rich foods, free of pesticides and chemicals. • Affinor is ready to introduce new patent-pending vertical farming technology. • Affinor is positioned to become a major food producer • Track record of growing and selling lettuce, spinach and herbs
• Strong strategic alliance with retail distributors
• Potential for very strong gross margins and economics !
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MARKET SUMMARY
Vertical Farming Strawberries – Turn Key Opportunity
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Proprietary technologies in vertical farming equipment and custom proprietary
software control precise combinations of light, temperature, water and nutrients to
create specific growing conditions that result in optimum crop production, product
quality and shelf life.
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Exclusive technology to mechanically pollinate plants !
State of the art greenhouse technology with vertical growing equipment and
proprietary cultivation processes results in year round, perpetual harvesting. !
Fully intergraded Standard Operating Procedures, including cultivation methods,
bio-security, employee hygiene, sanitation protocols and food safe coupled with
automation and software manuals are designed specifically for the fruits and
vegetables, pharmaceutical and medical marihuana markets. !
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MARKET SUMMARY
Strawberry consumption in Canada has been on the rise fairly consistently over the last
20 years, raising around 94% since 1991, 73% of which increased in the last 10 years
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MARKET SUMMARY
At the same time as
strawberry
consumption in
Canada has been
increasing however, so
have the amount of
berries imported.
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!In specific, Canadian
!production in 2011
!accounted for only
around 14.3% of total
percent available to
market, with 85.7%
coming from imported
berries
MARKET SUMMARY
Taking a look at the strawberries that are produced in Canada, we find that most provinces
have been experiencing an overall decline in production, aside from those located in Quebec who
are all members of their province’s producer group (547 farms).
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MARKET SUMMARY
Furthermore, the Canadian Industry’s capacity to grow and provide for the
population dwindles throughout the winter and spring months, when imports from
USA to Canada are at their highest once most household’s frozen storage of
strawberries are down, and summer weather and health-campaigns kick in for spring.
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Globalization of Growing
with Vertical Farms
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Pesticide Free, Non GMO,
Zero Water Waste
Efficient production utilizing minimum space
and a quick growth system yielding
maximum product per square foot.
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OPPORTUNITY
Present methods of agriculture and food production are facing multiple pressures. The
rising cost of fossil fuels, the negative environmental impact of fossil fuels, the
decrease in arable land; the unsustainable use and pollution of fresh water resulting
from the use of chemical inputs such as fertilizers and the inability to stop the spread
of genetically modified seeds, as the world’s population grows exponentially, all
threaten the future of conventional agricultural production and food security worldwide.
Other factors increasingly that threaten crops include: - Pollinating plants naturally with bees as climate change and disease threaten populations
world wide
- Climate change is the largest to food security including long droughts and infertile soils.
- Viruses and insect infestations
- Rising price of fossil fuels to transport and import products
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The environmental challenges posed by agriculture are huge, and they will only
become more pressing as we try to meet the growing need for food worldwide. It is
time for a change in the way we grow our food.
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BUSINESS CONCEPT
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Affinors’ vertical growing technologies, use and control precise combinations of
light, temperature, water, and nutrients to create specific growing conditions that
result in optimum crop production with maximum product quality and shelf-life.
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The Affinor system can be used to produce a number of high quality agricultural
products including herbs, lettuce, spinach, and plants that require pollination such
as strawberries.
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It is the mission of Affinor Growers to be the world-wide technology and market
leader in creating and commercializing the most economical vertical farming
technologies that use the least possible resources (e.g. land, water, and energy
resources) to produce the highest quality pesticide-free produce year-round,
regardless of environmental conditions.
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BUSINESS CONCEPT
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Advantages over traditional growing methods include:
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• Year-round production anywhere in the world and on land otherwise not suitable for food production,
• Mechanical pollination as bee shortages continue to grow as an issue,
• Increased yield per square foot of land estimated to be 10 to 15 times depending on the crop,
• Significantly reduced growth-cycle due to optimal lighting, nutrition and air flow,
• Dramatically reduced spoilage and extended shelf life estimated at up to 100% depending on the
crop – a large competitive advantage for distributors, retailers and a significant benefit to customers,
• Greatly reduced shipping (e.g. most spinach sold in Ontario is imported and shipped over 2,000
miles from California),
• Minimized environmental impact in terms of water use, land, and power,
• Eliminating the use of pesticides and other chemical inputs, other than organic-based fertilizer,
• Improved market-based pricing with consistently available local product, and
• Reduced capital requirements in terms of expensive to maintain large scale farming equipment.
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BUSINESS CONCEPT
Affinor is introducing new vertical farming
technology for growing fruits and vegetables
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BUSINESS CONCEPT
A vertical farm of one square block, 30 stories high could produce the same amount
of food as 24,000 acres of farmland. !
Significant advantages of the Affinor system, over what has previously been
considered to be the market leading system, include:
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• Optimized and automated air flow, temperature and CO2 at every vertical level allowing
plants to breath properly and more rapid and proper tissue development, • An estimated 60-70% estimated labour advantage using • Reduced risk related to watering times due to unique irrigation systems,
• Dramatically improved lighting design for faster growth and significantly higher yield, • An estimated 25-35% reduction in equipment costs by mass producing components,
• An estimated 30% reduction in space required to product the same output,
• A patent-pending pollination technology allowing Vertical Designs facilities to grow crops
like strawberries that require pollination (e.g. by bees). 20
BUSINESS CONCEPT
Affinors’ vertical growing technologies, use and control precise combinations of
light, temperature, water, and nutrients to create specific growing conditions that
result in optimum crop production with maximum product quality and shelf-life.
The Affinor system can be used to produce a number of high quality agricultural
products including herbs, lettuce, spinach, and plants that require pollination such
as strawberries.
!
It is the mission of Affinor Growers to be the world-wide technology and market
leader in creating and commercializing the most economical vertical farming
technologies that use the least possible resources (e.g. land, water, and energy
resources) to produce the highest quality pesticide-free produce year-round,
regardless of environmental conditions.
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SPINACH, LETTUCE, HERBS
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• Affinor is positioned to become a major food producer
• Track record of growing and selling Lettuce, Spinach and Herbs • Operational growing facilities with land acquisition in progress • Strong strategic alliances with retail distributors • Potential for very strong gross margins and economics • Experienced professional management team 22
BUSINESS CONCEPT
Affinor has optimal “return on investment” by focusing on a system that
minimizes the largest costs to traditional and other vertical farming:
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The cost of land: it generally does not make sense to build vertical farms in premium retail or
downtown space. There are vast amounts of less expensive land in areas close to city
centers, including environmentally contaminated sites that are well suited to vertical farming.
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Labour: intelligent automation reduces labour by up to an estimated 70% over competing
vertical farming systems,
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Waste: The amount of produce typically thrown away by a retail store can be as high as 30%.
The consumer can also throw away a large portion because it likely only lasts a few days. The
Affinor system was designed to produce the highest quality products with the longest shelf life
and best flavour. Importantly it reduces hard costs and increases value making it a preferred
product of retailers and consumers, even at top end prices.
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Electricity: intelligent automation optimizes the impact of light on the growth cycle and
improving the quality of the product. The use of alternative energies such as wind and solar,
combined with recent advancements in energy storage can further increase efficiencies.
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All of this translates into superior value for everyone in the value chain.
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! BUSINESS CONCEPT
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Affinor has targeted Quebec as a prime location to start growing strawberries. The
high percentage of annual sunlight coupled with its proximity to national produce
distributors makes it a prime location for industrial greenhouses to operate.
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BUSINESS CONCEPT
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Within the greenhouse, Affinor will use “growing towers” to grow crops. Plants will be
exchanged in the greenhouse 4 times a year at which point flowering will already be
initiated when they are transferred to the towers. Each plant site in the greenhouse are
planned to produce a set of flowers every 1-2 weeks continually. Therefore, fruit
production will be perpetual (year round) with a harvest every month with an estimate of
475,000 lbs shipped per year.
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TECHNOLOGY
Affinor’s licensed patent technology and patent pending technology coupled with its
in-process acquisitionn of new patent pending technology all vertical growing
systems, positions the company like no other in the vertical farming industry.
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Affinor can offer software driven growing solutions that can produce high quality,
scientifically engineered products at a fraction of the price than traditional growers in
any location.
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The following patent portfolio describes the different technologies that would be used
in the business concept.
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TECHNOLOGY
Vertical Farm
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TECHNOLOGY
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Patent portfolio description
Affinor licensed patents includes “Method and Apparatus for Automated Horticulture
and Agriculture” - international publication number: WO 2013/113096 A1
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TECHNOLOGY
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Patent portfolio description
Affinor licensed patent pending technology includes “Method and Apparatus for
Automated Vertical Horticulture and Agriculture” (patent pending, no international
publication number)
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Vertical Strawberry
Growing Machine
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Grown on a similar machine
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TECHNOLOGY
All of Affinors’ vertical growing technology can be used for a wide variety of
products and industries.
Leafy Greens – traditional lettuce, spinach and herbs with quick growth cycles and
superior shelf life using Affinor technology.
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Natural Health Products – over the past few decades, the world has witnessed the
explosive growth of a multi-billion dollar nutraceutical industry – food and food products
providing health and medical benefits. Example crops that can be exploited using
vertical technology include: alfalfa, aloe vera, peppermint, ginger, sage, arina.
Flowering fruits – Affinor’s rotating design and proprietary pollination process allows
crops like strawberries and other flowering fruits requiring pollination to be grown
vertically.
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Cannabis and Marihuana – seed to flower quickly, under controlled conditions to
produce maximum yields, high quality marihuana in a safe secure location using
vertical technology.
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COMPETITION
Affinor has reviewed available information on existing installations in the vertical farming sector
including those of SkyGreen, Alterrus Systems, Verticorp, AeroFarms, FarmedHere, Omega
Gardens, Urban Barns and Terrasphere Systems. Affinor believes it has developed whole
solutions that are superior in maximizing food quality while minimizing costs and maximizing
productivity per square foot of growing space.
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SkyGreens - Any dependency on sunlight can result in cell elongation on cloudy days resulting in inferior shelf
life and lower nutritional value. Without supplemental lighting the growing cycle can be longer when natural
growing seasons shift.
Alterrus / Verticorp - Use of sun radiation hydroponically can result in cell elongation, unless growing “baby”
products, inferior shelf life and lower nutritional value. Spraying feed increases susceptibility to high bacteria
count and increasing possibility of washing to pass food safety regulations. If washed, then possibility of
damage rises because of cell elongation. Supplemental lighting is likely insufficient in winter or if cloudy for 5 or
more days which can negatively impact quality.
Aerofarms - Largely shelves with pumps and misters. More of a home type set up and poorly suited for large
production as it would be too labour intensive.
Farmed Here - Appears to grow products by floating them in oxygenated water. It appears labour intensive and
lacking automatic lighting and process automation with seeding and packaging by hand.
Urban Barns - Many moving parts and in the video the lettuce appears to not be forming properly due to
insufficient airflow. The use of space appears to not be optimized. Plants appear to be continuously moving
which can vary the distance from light and negatively impact quality.
Omega Garden - Rotation creates stress on the plants which can result in ethylene gas and negatively impact
the organic chemistry. Water running to the surface of roots and dripping onto leaf tissue provides potential for
stalk rot. The design has significant relative inefficiencies from seeding to harvesting.
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STRAWBERRIES
Summary
Summary
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• Exclusive technology to mechanically pollinate plants
• Large purchase orders for strawberries pending • Scientific plant and berry experts on advisory board
• Strong strategic alliances with retail distributors • Potential for very strong gross margins and economics • Experienced professional management team 33
COMPETITION
Within BC, Canada and the world, it is likely that Affinor Growers will face competition
from both commercial strawberry suppliers and those committed to growing their own
food. This sections seeks to first understand key risks Affinor may experience in
industry, followed with mitigation efforts currently planned or underway. To begin, a list
of growers by province currently producing strawberries in Canada is listed below with
locations and comments on their facilities/companies. A list of strawberry growers by
province as well as the 9 growers associations available to Canada are listed below.
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COMPETITION
Threat of New Competition
As Affinor is successful in growing and providing quality strawberries, other farming and tech companies will no doubt spark interest in similar forms of
operations. Affinor’s success may attract new companies/organizations interested in developing similar programs in BC and Canada. Both new and existing
suppliers distributing agricultural products in Canada could reduce Affinor’s market share and jeopardise its ability to become self-sustaining. Entrance of new companies/organisations into the BC market for strawberries is an ongoing possibility Affinor is keenly aware of. Barriers to entry are
moderate, given the extensive capital involved in most farming operations and pricing of farmland in BC (+/- 100k/acre). However, Affinor is already in the
process of securing a purchase order for its products to ensure a streamline income. Rather than seeing others as producers to compete with, we will see
them as partners to collaborate with and share resources with, working to secure our positions as leaders in the industry.
In addition, while the focus of Affinor is growing plants and food crops, our advisory team is uniquely composed not only of plant and food production
expertise, but also of drug and neutraceutical specialists. Working with a diversified advisory team will allow Affinor to access additional industries for
product sales that may otherwise not be available. Diversifying its income stream will allow Affinor to remain stable in the face of income challenges from any
one given source.
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Threat of Substitute Services
When seeking to purchase strawberries for food consumption in BC and Canada, there are countless other providers retailers, distributors and consumers
can consider. Consumers look for strawberries that are affordable, available, non-GMO, organic and most importantly, that taste good. Many of the berries available on the Canadian market today (84% on estimate) have been imported from California and other southern parts of the world.
Berries shipped are often picked early before ripening and left to either ripen en route or chemically supported applications. Water shortages and climate
change effects are beginning to prevail in the southern parts of N America where most of our berries are currently imported from.
Affinor will work with various berry associations, ministry groups and retail grocers across the province to ensure promotions of local and Canadian
strawberries are heard, enhancing consumer awareness of their availability and the importance of supporting local growers.
While others may enter the realm of vertical farming to compete with Affinor’s yield and quality, Affinor will continue with our R&D facility exploring and
continually enhancing our designs and production methods; we will keep on top of all industry news and our competitors to ensure our products will always
be the best quality at an affordable price.
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MARKET - Strawberries
Strawberry Consumption
increases while Canadian production decreases.
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Pesticide laden imports
on the rise
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The Opportunity
Affinor Growers is ready to
capitalize on the Marihuana market
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Affinor Growers plans to conventionally
grow high quality plants at competitive prices.
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OPPORTUNITY
Affinor’s plan is to industrialize and automate a
profitable system to package products that
adhere to Health Canada’s rigid standards.
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MEDICAL MARIHUANA
Summary
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• Affinor is positioned to become a premiere marijuana producer
• MMR Licensed Producer status pending • Secure, established and operational growing facilities in Canada
• 49% ownership of existing Marijuana facility in Washington State • Strategic alliances with world-­‐class marijuana producers • Potential for very strong gross margins and economics • Professional management team and scientific advisors 40
MEDICAL MARIHUANA
• Natural health product market on the rise
• Medical Marihuana now public and legal for purchase
• Proclaimed the gold rush or “Green Rush” of our generation
• Encouraging trends away from synthetic pharmaceuticals
• Helping those in pain to find relief 41
MEDICAL MARIHUANA
Summary
Affinor Growers sets itself apart from other Canadian MMPR-­‐
focused firms, with it’s ability to grow other profitable crops like strawberries and lettuce. !
Leveraging its management experience and vertical farming technology, the company will be able to produce fruits and vegetable crops at a competitive price and quality.
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FACILITIES
Port Coquitlam Marihuana Facility !
Currently growing and selling to regular patients on a monthly basis
FACILITIES
Washington State Marihuana Facility !
Currently growing and selling to regular patients on a monthly basis
MARKET - Marihuana
Estimated Usage of Marihuana in Canada •
Expected to expand to 58,000 users in 2014
•
Health Canada estimates that there will be 450,000 by 2024
•
Projected industry revenues of $1.3B in 2024
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MARKET - Marihuana
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Affinor Growers intends to leverage its unique expertise and industry connections to capitalize on both market opportunities. !
Investors benefit from exposure to the cannabis industry without as much risk because revenue will be derived from other divisions.
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CAPITALIZATION
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Fully diluted share capital of Affinor following completion of all of the transactions.
Number of Affinor Shares
Percentage of Fully Diluted
66,653,656
83.5%
7,482,636
9.4%
215,465
0.3%
Affinor Options
5,450,000
6.8%
Total Number of Shares (fully diluted)
79,801,757
100%
Affinor Shares issued and outstanding
Securities Reserved for Future Issue:
Reserved for issuance pursuant to the Affinor Warrants
Affinor Broker Options
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nick Brusatore, Director and Chairman
Director and Chairman
Nick Brusatore is known globally for being a top designer and leader in vertical farming technology. He was the Chairman of the Applied Research Committee for BCIT for several years and was nominated for the AGRI Award of Excellence for Canada in 2012. Nick was a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Marihuana in New York City and the moderator in San Fransisco and regularly sits on discussion panels as an expert in this industry. Nick is the original designer of Terrasphere Systems started in 2001 and currently the major shareholder and designer of Vertical Designs Ltd started in 2010. Nick brings over 14 years experience in AGRI Designs, plant physiology and the manipulation of metabolic pathways to achieve organic chemistry. No current expert or company compares to Brusatore or his ability. It will be hard to compete with the quality and depth of knowledge to automate, industrialize and drive the marihuana markets in Canada and the USA. Nick recently worked in the Biotech sector growing transgenic Tobacco for a large pharmaceutical giant as well as transgenic Safflower to create insulin’s for medical use.
Sebastien Plouffe, Director
Director
Mr. Plouffe graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with honor (B.A.A.) from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (H.E.C.-­‐Montreal). Former successful VP Senior Investment Advisor from 1995 to 2003 with such as the Canadian brokerage firm Nesbitt Burns and Canaccord Capital, for which he achieved the Chairman’s Club level for his performance and superior portfolio management. Since then he co-­‐founded and financed various private and public companies in different sectors and get specialized internationally. He’s fluent in French, English and Spanish. Former President and CEO of Chevalier Resources, a company with copper projects in Republic Democratic of Congo. Former Director, VP and Chairman of the audit committee of X-­‐Terra Resources. Mr. Plouffe dedicates all his time for the success of Affinor and is presently building a very solid team of experts and management in order to become the leader in agriculture vertical farming. Through the years he as built and developed a huge recognition on management skills in different sectors and difficult areas, which shall be key and helpful for the success of Affinor.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Martin Nicoletti, Director
Director
Mr. Nicoletti is a certified general accountant with 24 years of experience. He graduated from the Quebec University in Trois Rivières in 1987 with a bachelor degree in business administration. He joined Price Waterhouse where he spent the next 4 years serving several clients in the mining industry. He spent the next 11 years with companies as a controller or chief accountant. Since 2004, he has been involved with public junior mining companies carrying exploration activities worldwide, with responsibilities in financial controls and financial reporting.
Dr. Alan Boyco, Director
Alan R Boyco B.Sc., O.D. is a practicing Optometrist in Coquitlam, British Columbia with his expertise focused on anterior segment / glaucoma.
Dr. Boyco is a member of the NHLTPS “National Hockey League Team Physicians Society” and the Official Optometrist to the Vancouver Canucks and Rogers Arena. He is also the Official Optometrist to the B.C. Lions and B.C. Place Stadium and the Official Optometrist to the Vancouver Giants and Pacific Coliseum.
Director
Dr. Boyco has a Bachelor of Science (Biology & Psychology ) From the University of Alberta and is a graduate of the Pacific University School of Optometry. He appears on morning television as authority Eye specialist in a segment called "Eyes of Vancouver"
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MANAGEMENT TEAM
Sebastien Plouffe, CEO
Mr. Plouffe graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with honor (B.A.A.) from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (H.E.C.-­‐Montreal). Former successful VP Senior Investment Advisor from 1995 to 2003 with such as the Canadian brokerage firm Nesbitt Burns and Canaccord Capital, for which he achieved the Chairman’s Club level for his performance and superior portfolio management. Since then he co-­‐founded and financed various private and public companies in different sectors and get specialized internationally. He’s fluent in French, English and Spanish. Former President and CEO of Chevalier Resources, a company with copper projects in Republic Democratic of Congo. Former Director, VP and Chairman of the audit committee of X-­‐Terra Resources. Mr. Plouffe dedicates all his time for the success of Affinor and is presently building a very solid team of experts and management in order to become the leader in agriculture vertical farming. Through the years he as built and developed a huge recognition on management skills in different sectors and difficult areas, which shall be key and helpful for the success of Affinor.
Martin Nicoletti, CFO
Mr. Nicoletti is a certified general accountant with 24 years of experience. He graduated from the Quebec University in Trois Rivières in 1987 with a bachelor degree in business administration. He joined Price Waterhouse where he spent the next 4 years serving several clients in the mining industry. He spent the next 11 years with companies as a controller or chief accountant. Since 2004, he has been involved with public junior mining companies carrying exploration activities worldwide, with responsibilities in financial controls and financial reporting.
Jarrett Malnarick, COO
Jarrett Malnarick ran his own successful consulting company for over 10 years assisting companies with acquisitions, product development, design costing and ROI analysis, organizational budgets, developmental funding through grants and tax credit programs, new facility process planning, quality engineering and product regulatory compliance to Health Canada and international standards through the design and implementing operational systems. He originally worked with Vertical Designs Ltd. as a consultant and later joined their team in 2011. Jarrett Malnarick has held a number of executive positions and has earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Victoria.
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MANAGEMENT TEAM
Colin Wiebe, Marketing Director
Colin Wiebe has over 25 years experience as a Creative Director and marketing professional. Colin began as a graphic artist and illustrator for the Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers. He quickly became the Creative Director of advertising for both papers working on projects such as the Vancouver Sun Run, The Province Golf Classic, The Molson Indy plus continuous promotions for the BC Lions and the Vancouver Canucks and many more. He worked with the Pacific Press team which pioneered the digital advertising methods adopted by many major daily newspapers around the world. Colin founded Fastcreative.com, the world’s first virtual marketing department, and has worked with a variety of clients ranging from pro audio, insurance, digital online advertising, banks, entertainment, public companies, non-­‐profits and many others. Colin is an experienced copywriter, designer and direct marketing specialist and brings his unique knowledge of web development, lead generation and marketing strategies to the Affinor team.
Colin is also well known as a musician. He has 4 nationally released albums and toured the world with Canadian legend Randy Bachman (Bachman Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who) for over 17 years singing all the Guess Who material and playing guitar and keyboards. Colin still performs at corporate and fundraising events and is the Musical Director for the Legends of Rock'n’Roll.
Greg Dennison, Director of Operations
Greg Dennison has over thirty years of experience in the residential and commercial construction industry, successfully operating both small businesses and large corporations. This experience has produced a variety of skills. He has proven leadership abilities and strength as a business administrator, with a great capacity to solve problems. Greg has the ability to set tasks and work effectively with a variety of people; persevering to accomplish goals often beyond expectations. He is known to have integrity in all his business dealings and personal relationships. He regularly attends a local church and has been overseas on many short term mission trips to help third world communities. He currently resides in Langley BC with his wife Patti and two of their six children.
Carl Macaulay, Security Director
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OUR ADVISORS
Sr. Sazzad Houssain Sazzad has more than 20 years of academic and industrial experience in new drug discovery, natural health product development. He was Group Leader and Senior Scientist at Bio-­‐technology Research Institute of National Research Council Canada, Government of Canada’s prime biotechnology research organization where he set up pharmacology laboratory to evaluate safety and efficacy of new drugs under development in the areas of cancer, cardiovascular and ocular diseases. Prior to joining the National Research Council Canada, he was at Xenon Pharmaceuticals in Vancouver, B.C, where was Associate Director of Pharmacology and led pharmacology teams targeting pain, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. Sazzad received his PhD in Biology from Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine & Biotechnology and received post doctoral training in the Department of Nutritional Science and Department of Medical Genetics of University of British Columbia. He was associate professor of pharmacology at Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil between 1988-­‐1996. He is the author of more than 40 peer-­‐reviewed papers, primarily in the pharmacology, genetics and nutritional sciences.
Dr. Hyder A Khoja
Dr. Hyder A. Khoja is a growth focused individual with extensive experience in a broad range of life sciences, combined with functional expertise and experience in general business management. He has strong adaptive abilities in leading diverse regulatory program areas with a solid experience both in science and policy domains. Currently, he is serving as an Advisory & Executive for several International companies.
His industrial experience spans from initiation, operation, advising and contribution towards developing several Research and Technical proposals including: Renewable resource, Biofuels & Feed-­‐stock, Agri-­‐Food Safety, Sovereignty & Security, Agri-­‐Land Management, Field Exploration, Hydroponics, Breeding & Genetics for medicinal plant compounds based on geographically isolated strains and their cyto-­‐
morphological studies, Herbal Drugs Development focusing on Natural Health Products from Plant extracts.
In past, he held several senior advisory roles where he dealt business and research operations. He successfully led multi-­‐disciplinary teams from (professionals-­‐biologists, engineers, planners and scientists) at different organizations which resulted in consistent delivery of a broad range of products in a timely fashion. His work was also shortlisted for US-­‐DOE multi-­‐million dollars grant. While working with a team of experts; he built a foundation of strong cross-­‐functional skills including Research & Business development.
Dr. Khoja holds a Ph.D., in Cellular & Molecular Biology from the INP-­‐ENSA Toulouse, France and Post-­‐Doctoral training from Michigan State University. Later, he served as a Faculty for Virginia-­‐Tech, University of Wyoming, and Texas-­‐Tech respectively; where he demonstrated an “Out-­‐of-­‐Box” approach for R&D. His work was presented many times in government and academia and was recognized by the United Nation's-­‐FAO Environment & Natural Resources Management. Most prominently, he has an authorship in over 18 peer-­‐reviewed papers.
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OUR ADVISORS
Andrew Riseman Andrew Riseman, Ph.D. an influential UBC Senator and Associate Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics to its advisory board. Dr. Riseman is in the Applied Biology Program within the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. His areas of expertise include plant breeding, genetics, cultivar development, agroecology, organic production, sustainable production systems, and horticultural and agricultural technologies.
Dr. Riseman is also the Academic Director, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS) and the co-­‐chair of the CSFS Steering Committee. He earned his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University and has strong interests in Community Based Action Research (CBAR) and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).
Thomas Baumann
Thomas Baumann is a member of the North American Strawberry Growers Association, the American Society Of Horticultural Sciences and current Director of the Pacific Berry Resource Centre at UFV to its advisory board.
Thomas Baumann taught at the UBC Department of Plant Science in Small Fruit Culture, Tree Fruit Culture, Vegetable Production, and Protected Culture (Greenhouse) and continued as Sessional Lecturer at UBC as well as Kwantlen University College. He is a Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, Agriculture Technology Department, for Vegetable, Fruit, Greenhouse, Pest Management, Nursery Production and Propagation, Introduction to Computers, Advanced Computer Training and Introduction to Horticulture Lab, responsible for a modern range of greenhouse research and teaching facilities.He is also a member of UFV Senate and Chair of the UFV Senate Awards and Honours Committee,and a member of the Senate Appeals Committee.
Rick Easthom
Rick Easthom's previous experience as Director of Corporate Brands for the Overwaitea Food Group, and Manager of Retail Development for Choices Markets, will give Affinor Growers an instant advantage in the merchandising and distribution its products. Mr. Easthom has extensive grocery retail experience. He is an authority in developing products, packaging, launching and merchandising them at retail while maximizing sales and profit. He has a comprehensive background in management and brings superior skills as an analyst, negotiator and planner. Rick has the unique ability to lead and direct merchandising teams. As Director of Corporate Brands for Overwaitea, he used his people skills and his negotiating talents to develop a dynamic team that created new products to meet changing market demographics and improve on old products by re-­‐packaging. These changes and his new team focus, helped to deliver exceptional increases in sales and profit.
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CONTACT
Sebastien Plouffe, CEO -­‐ Phone: (514) 947-­‐2272
[email protected] !
Nick Brusatore -­‐ Phone: (604) 356-­‐0411
[email protected]
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Head Office in Montreal, Quebec
Western Office in Vancouver, BC
Marijuana Production Facility in Port Coquitlam, BC
Marijuana Production Facility in Washington State
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