From a modest downtown office to a vertically integrated operation serving 95% of BC retailers, DEALR is betting on discipline, affordability, and legacy values to weather a volatile industry.

“The beginnings of all things are small.” That’s the phrase you’ll see on the wall in the brand-new meeting room at DEALR’s head office in Salmon Arm, in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. Written in Latin, it reads: Omnium Rerum Principia Parva Sunt—the same language once spoken by General Julius Caesar himself.

Step into the office of CEO Ben Williams, and the first thing you’ll see is a striking image of Julius Caesar. On the right-hand wall, there’s an eye-catching painting of the Roman general during the Siege of Alesia. It shows the moment the Gauls finally surrendered after days of struggle, raids, and brutal battles. It was there that Julius Caesar demonstrated how flexible and innovative tactics can change the course of history.

With a 10,000-square-foot processing facility and 7,000 square feet of indoor grow space, DEALR is still a lean operation compared to the large, publicly traded licensed producers that dominate much of the legal Canadian cannabis market. The team is tight-knit—just a small crew of old-school-inspired dealers: the same core group that started out together in 2018, working out of a tiny office, with that quote in Latin once written on the wall. It was later ripped off, framed, and carried into the facility in 2024.

“A fundamental difference between us and the large publicly traded producers and processors is that we can be flexible and nimble. A huge part of running an efficient cannabis operation is having the right SKUs, keeping things fresh, and being diligent with procurement so you can respond to customer needs—especially when you’re seeing major shifts in the global economy, like we are right now,” says Williams.

A new chapter

Like Caesar, who maintained strict control over supplies to keep his troops fed during a long siege, DEALR is gaining market share with a smaller, disciplined team. With the craft flower line under the DEALR brand itself, and more inexpensive options under BC OZ, BC 1/2 OZ, BC 1/4 OZ, and BC Doobies, the company is now present in over 95% of legal cannabis retail stores in British Columbia—and nearly half of all stores in Ontario, according to recent sales reports. Now, DEALR is gearing up for its 2.0 phase, which includes a major expansion.

“We’re (im)patiently waiting on our 2.0 licence—fingers crossed every Friday for that long-awaited email. Once approved, we’ll be rolling out our Jacked Joints: distillate-infused, liquid diamond-infused, some kief-coated, some plain. And that’s just the beginning—you can expect edibles, beverages, vapes, and maybe even topicals in the coming year,” says Mareike Klem, one of the founders and the company’s QAP.

It’s an important step for a company that began with Williams and Klem helping small growers get licensed and enter the legal market. “I joined Ben back in the summer of 2018—just before the wild ride of transitioning from the grey market to the legal one began. He asked if I wanted in on this crazy adventure, and I said yes. The rest is history,” Klem recalls.

Williams often notes that he’s far more risk-averse now than he was in his earlier ventures. “If Armageddon comes,” he quips with a wry smile, “we’ve built our fortification. We can now grow our own cannabis, we’ve got long-term, solid partnerships with key microgrowers, and we can pack our cannabis and roll our own joints on a much bigger scale—right here in our facility. This way, we keep the jobs local and continue feeding our community, despite whatever adversity might come from the unfolding global trade tensions,” he explains, with a mix of pragmatism and dry humour.

“As far as where things are headed in the near future, we’re not directly impacted by U.S. tariffs, but we are indirectly affected as the economy shifts and people have less money to spend. The way to combat that—to protect ourselves—is to offer affordable cannabis. Over the past few years, we’ve managed to offer quality BC cannabis at accessible prices. Now, for example, we’re launching a Direct Delivery–exclusive 3-pack of pre-rolls at a $9.99 MSRP. We have to make decisions that keep the business sustainable without gouging the customer. We’re far from the days when our eighths were $55—people couldn’t afford that even before this whole story with the tariffs,” concludes Williams.

The secret

According to Patrick Klem, DEALR’s Head of Financial Services, aside from having good quality cannabis, the company’s success in such a volatile industry comes down to two key factors. “The first is our sales strategy, led by Janeen and her team. They know how to move product and empower stores to communicate the right message to customers,” says Patrick.  The second is staying on top of your obligations. “Paying the government, suppliers, and staff on time. Some companies get a big cheque from the province after a drop, but if they’re not diligent with cash flow, they end up eaten alive by overhead or buried in debt. I’m always thinking about how to make things more efficient. It’s a lot like running a restaurant—tight margins, and you’ve got to work sharp,” Patrick reflects.

Janeen Davis, Vice President of Sales, met and clicked with the crew in early 2021. She recalls a few key shifts since then.

“Back in the beginning, I started to feel like Grandpa Simpson—sitting on a stump, telling legacy stories to young budtenders who just stared blankly. There was a disconnect. Launching DEALR felt like passing the baton. Now, retailers and budtenders are the DEALRs—they’re the hookup. Consumers can walk into a store anytime, be spoiled for choice, and trust a budtender’s recommendation. Our brand embraces that,” says Davis.

The team received the license for the new facility in the spring of 2024, by the end of April. The brand gained solid traction after that. “DEALR is aligned with our core mission, which is to ensure that those who risked their freedom to build the cannabis industry inherit it now that it’s federally legal,” Davis explains.

Weathering the Storm

At one point, Janeen’s marketing team was supporting 26 different micro-growers—a number that has since been refined to a tight group of six. As things evolved, some growers graduated and launched their own processing ventures, while others, unfortunately, shut down their operations. “We learned a lot of lessons. For example, in the early days, cultivators set their own prices instead of grading the biomass and pricing it according to market conditions. At DEALR, we reject nearly half of the biomass that comes through our doors due to issues such as poor bud structure, seeds, mould, mildew, or lack of nose. This model has allowed us to consistently offer higher-quality products at a better price,” Davis explains.

The company is now averaging over $3 million in monthly revenue—a milestone reached through immense dedication and personal sacrifice. During a particularly challenging period, Janeen’s husband passed away, but after finding her footing again, she sees a bright future ahead, especially with the company’s current plans for expansion. Still, Davis is candid about her frustrations with some aspects of the industry’s evolving landscape.

“The tax burden, nearly 38% of our topline revenue, as well as strict marketing restrictions, and uneven competition with the legacy and illicit market… enforcement doesn’t work, only transition does. The government has effectively taken over the industry without giving legal operators a fair shot. With limited ability to market and higher prices due to taxes, legal producers struggle to survive while the illicit market continues to thrive,” says Davis. She believes a level playing field is needed in both pricing and promotion, as legal businesses have been operating on razor-thin margins.

Mareike also shared similar thoughts. “It’s been a wild, rewarding, and sometimes painful journey. The challenge of going from the back 40 and a hockey bag to mountains of paperwork and compliance has been eye-opening for a lot of folks. Things have come a long way, but we still have ground to cover—especially when it comes to catching up to the freedoms the alcohol industry enjoys. Packaging that’s actually fun, for example, comes to mind,” ponders Klem.

Built to outlast 

From a couple of pallets carried in an enclosed trailer hauled by a pickup truck—driven once a week to Vancouver by the CEO himself—to a big lorry now piloted by Rick Kent, aka Tricky Ricky. A classic country boy, born and raised in the Shuswap, Ricky has been a loyal partner to Williams since their days working together in the northern oil patches. “I head out to Van every week with one big drop-off for BC and another shipment headed to Ontario. It’s less busy than the oil patch days, but I enjoy it. Ben wouldn’t trust anyone else with this important task,” says Ricky with a genuine laugh, as he helps the crew load the truck for another trip to the Lower Mainland. A stunning drive, by the way—cutting through hills, lakes, and open sky. Just another example of BC’s one-of-a-kind, authentic offspring.

The next route for DEALR is Europe, along with select international markets. The team has been actively engaged with export partners and is pursuing GACP and EU-GMP certifications. However, Williams assured he is no rubberneck: “Our primary focus remains on the Canadian market, with DEALR’s strategy centred on strengthening and sustaining domestic supply and retail relationships first.”

Discipline has helped DEALR weather industry downturns that sank heavily leveraged competitors under the weight of unsustainable debt. “Through smart resource management and tight control over cash flow and supply chains, DEALR is built to outlast our competitors,” concludes Davis. DEALR is positioned much like Caesar, who outlasted Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls.

~Jadson A. Tinelli

Jadson is a writer, a marketer, and a communicator who lives in Vancouver. He is also the General Manager at Avenue Cannabis.

Featured image credit: Melissa Harris

Content supported by: DEALR Cannabis