Southern Sky Brands produces farm-to-patient-focused medical cannabis with a mission to unlock the healing potential found in the cannabis plant, with an emphasis on providing high-quality treatment options to patients dealing with debilitating conditions often deemed untreatable with conventional medicine. The company boasts a 70,000-square-foot cultivation plant and processing facility. It uses a state-of-the-art, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and F.O.C.U.S. (Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards) certified facility.
Having a modern, indoor cultivation approach to producing CBD products, Southern Sky Brands is able to produce the highest quality, consistent medical cannabis products and guarantees that they will be able to meet the demands and maintain the standards for years to come.
“We didn’t get into the business for the income; we got into the business for the outcome”–this is the principle the founders learned from Rachel Schmidt, who grew up in Humbolt, CA, the epicenter for the cannabis for 40 years. Richard Partridge, Justin Mahfouz, Stan Martin, Matt Cranmore, and Glenn Taylor, the founders, adopted it for their mission statement. “We built our cultivation and processing facility in Canton, MS within a medical district. From day one, we have aligned the direction of our company with a medicinal focus in mind”, said Justin, CEO of SSB. Aiming to create a holistic product designed to help people by aiding their health and wellness, Southern Sky Brands take the CBD game a notch higher by consistently exceeding client expectations. Aiming to create a holistic product designed to help people by aiding their health and wellness, Southern Sky Brands take the CBD game a notch higher by consistently exceeding client expectations.
“We have a dedicated team of professionals with a compassionate heart to cultivate and manufacture specific medications for specific ailments,” shared the founders. “We are proud Mississippians with deep roots in our home state and are honored to lead the way in cannabis science and technology.”
With a team of in-house experts in cultivation, science, laboratory, processing, edibles, tinctures, marketing, the cannabis industry, e-commerce, retail, and customer service, Southern Sky Brands is truly a force to reckon with. Everyone behind the company is an authority in their chosen fields and has collectively gained decades-worth of experience running divisions of multifaceted, million-dollar companies.
Southern Sky Brands’ ultimate goal is to serve its consumers by delivering the most ethical, transparent CBD products in the market. The founders aim to use their expertise and influence to help more people. As its mission states, “Southern Sky Brands is committed to excellence in medical cannabis, advancing the science, and advancing the healing that can come from the cannabis plant.”
The founders have long made their mark in various industries before coming together to make Southern Sky Brands possible. Justin Mahfouz spent years in the corporate world managing a variety of successful businesses. Stan Martin was formerly a Petroleum Engineer responsible for drilling, completing, and equipping oil and gas wells across the Gulf Coast Region. Matt Cranmore is also from the oil and gas industry, where he was responsible for overseeing multi-disciplinary wellsite operations throughout the country. Meanwhile, Glenn Taylor began his career in the Mississippi Supreme Court and practiced private law since 1976, with his practice revolving around oil and gas exploration and environmental disputes and litigation. Richard Partridge is known for his long and distinguished history as an investor in a variety of industries ranging from propane, real estate, industrial, oil and gas, and municipal projects.
Currently based in Canton, MS, Southern Sky Brands Chief Operations Officer Steve Merritt, experienced in building and consulting with small, medium, large, and with multi-state operations (MSO’s) ventures having previously been involved with over 150 cannabis growing facilities in the United States; Chief Science Officer Blake Smith, a bioanalytical chemist specializing in pharmacokinetics and dose formulation; Director of Cultivation Brent VanZile, an authority in growing cannabis for over a decade with years of experience in managing commercial cultivation facilities; Director of Wholesale and Retail Operations Hunter Lewis; Director of Edibles Manufacturing Rachel Schmidt; Director of Marketing Cindy Higa; and Director of E-commerce Morgan Engle round out the leadership. The team will be well-positioned to lead the company well into the future.
