$LVVV Livewire Acquires Equity Position in Del Gro

$LVVV Livewire Acquires Equity Position in Del Gro Cannabis Cultivation Campus in Coachella, California

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/20...ornia.html

Anaheim, CA, July 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LiveWire Ergogenics Inc. (OTC: LVVV), a company focused on acquiring, leasing, licensing, and managing special-purpose real estate properties conducive to producing high-quality, handcrafted and sun-grown specialty cannabis products for medical and recreational adult use in California, today announced that it has acquired a minority equity position in Verde Partners, Inc., a Nevada based investment firm and owner of one of the largest cannabis cultivation campuses in Coachella, California.

Livewire Ergogenics has executed a preferred and common stock swap agreement with the former CEO of Verde Partners, Inc. Under this agreement, Livewire exchanged 1,000,000 preferred and 1,000,000 common stock in Verde Partners, Inc. for 10,000 LiveWire Preferred B stock. This transaction represents the purchase of approximately 2.35% of the Verde preferred and 2.8% of the common shares outstanding. LiveWire is offering to purchase the remaining Verde Preferred and Common Shares under a similar stock swap formula, demonstrating its commitment to this strategic investment. Verde Partners has been a common stock shareholder of Livewire for several years.

Verde Partners' assets in California include the state-of-the-art Del Gro Cannabis Campus in Coachella, California. This unique and innovative facility sets new standards in the cannabis industry. The completed first phase, 110,000 square-foot indoor cultivation and manufacturing facility on 6 acres, is fully operational and consists of nine free-standing separate buildings with full security valued at $65,000,000 stabilized. The planning, design, and permitting of the second phase of 110,000 sf on an additional 6 acres is completed and ready to be built, further enhancing the Campus's capabilities and potential for growth.

The city of Coachella has embraced cannabis activities to broaden its tax basis and bring additional revenue to City Hall. The Del Gro campus, benefiting from this encouraging approach by the City, is a beacon of innovation in the California cannabis industry, providing an outstanding platform for boutique cannabis cultivators to develop their businesses in the ideal campus environment. Del Gro offers cultivators access to experienced cultivation professionals, distribution support, licensing compliance, processing, and extraction services. The Campus currently generates over $3.8M in annual lease revenues, with a projected 2024 net operating income of approximately $5.5M.

Robert Newell, the former CEO of Verde Partners, Inc., states, “I have been an investor in Livewire for several years and have worked closely with Bill Hodson, its CEO, for a decade. I am delighted that we are now combining our companies' powerful and diversified resources to benefit both companies.”

Bill Hodson, CEO of Livewire, states, “As we are delivering our affiliate’s Estrella River Farms first harvest of 2024 to our drying & trimming partner in preparation for further delivery to our new distribution partners, we are also continuing to diversify and expand our business with partnerships and investments in carefully selected areas in the cannabis market that complement our large cultivation operation at Estrella Ranch. This is the first step in further advancing cooperation with Verde Partners and Del Gro, and we are pleased that we can add this value to our operations to benefit our shareholders.”