A customer shops at the Kalamazoo Mint Cannabis store on E. Cork Street. The company announced expansion plans on April 20, 2021 and will be adding retail centers in Portage, Monroe Township and Coldwater, as well as a cultivation center in Clare. (Photo provided by The Mint Cannabis Co.)

KALAMAZOO, MI — Just six months after introducing The Mint Cannabis Co. in Kalamazoo last October, co-owner Joey Kejbou is excited to announce three more dispensaries coming to the state.

Located not far from the East Cork Street dispensary in Kalamazoo, the company’s flagship store-to-be will be a 5,300 sq. ft. facility set to open in late summer/early fall at 5747 S. Westnedge Ave. in Portage.

Retail centers are also expected to open in Coldwater (365 N. Willowbrook Rd.) in early June and in Monroe Township (760 S. Telegraph Rd.) sometime later this summer, Kejbou told MLive on April 20.

In addition, the company is preparing to open a 24,000 sq. ft. cultivation center in Clare this year. The first phase of the cultivation center is expected to open this May.

Mint Cannabis Co-owner Joey Kejbou talks with an employee between interviews for his new staff in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. The Kalamazoo location was the company’s first in Michigan. Locations in Portage, Coldwater and Monroe Township are all expected to open in 2021 as is a cultivation facility in Clare. (MLive File photo | Joel Bissell)Joel Bissell | MLive.com

In total, the company expects to bring 120 new jobs, including upward of 40 in Portage, he said.

Kejbou said while the company continues to look to expand partnerships with growers and processers throughout the state as it grows its footprint in Michigan, they believe strongly in creating their own supply.

All retail locations will offer a diverse selection of flower/buds, edibles and concentrates, he said.

“Most of the big retailers are vertically integrated,” Kejbou said. “It’s just the way the industry is going and with the ups and downs of pricing and stuff, we find it imperative that we have our own supply.

“Even if it’s not enough to fully supply us, at least by having some kind of consistent internal supply chain, we can ensure that we are able to provide consistent product at all times.”

The Mint Cannabis Co. was started in Arizona by Kejbou’s childhood friend, Eivan Shahara, and introduced in Michigan by Kejbou last year. In 2020, the company — which features three locations in the Phoenix area, plus the one in Kalamazoo — was named “Most Innovative” by the international Commercial Cannabis Awards.

Kejbou said what sets The Mint brand apart aside from its product, is the relationships they develop with their clientele and within the communities they operate in.

The Kalmazoo store has supported the West Michigan Cancer Center in its mission, and in addition to looking for other nonprofits to partner with, offers deals and discounts to seniors, veterans and others who need cannabis to cope with life-altering illnesses and conditions, he said.

“We are always looking to the future, not just in terms of growth, but how we can continue to break stigmas, support patients, contribute to local and regional economic vitality and give back to the communities we serve,” said Shahara, who like Kejbou, is a Michigan native.

The Mint is accepting applications for all locations preparing to open and actively conducting interviews via Zoom and in-person, Kejbou said.

Positions they are hiring for at this time include everything from internal packaging to budtender positions, retail, sales and marketing, managerial, accounting and administrative.

“With respect to the employees, we treat them like a team and like a family here” he said. “And every customer that comes in will get treated the same way. We’re about creating a friendly atmosphere, built on personal relationships.”

For more information, visit themintcannabis.com

(SOURCE)