High Tide Secures Commitment Letter from Connect First Credit Union for Non-Dilutive Financing
This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated December 3, 2021 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated April 22, 2021
CALGARY, Alberta, August 18, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–High Tide Inc. (“High Tide” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: HITI) (TSXV: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA), a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, announced today that it has entered into a binding commitment letter with Connect First Credit Union Ltd. (“connectFirst”) for a $19 million credit facility with an initial 5-year term (the “Credit Facility”), at connectFirst’s floor interest rate. The terms of the Credit Facility were renegotiated with connectFirst to provide a larger immediately-accessible facility for High Tide, with a smaller total commitment from connectFirst initially – which High Tide expects will grow over time. Upon closing the Credit Facility with connectFirst, the Company expects to use the proceeds to fund continued organic growth, general working capital requirements, and potential future M&A activities.
I am very happy to provide this positive update today. Our business remains on a strong footing and we continue to gain traction as the leader in the Canadian cannabis retail market. Once in place, this facility will help us continue to propel our growth in an increasingly non-dilutive fashion.
Raj Grover, President and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide
Through our conversations with connectFirst, we expect that this line will expand in tandem with our business growth, as we continue to execute on our conveyed business plan. This will enable us to capitalize on attractive M&A and organic opportunities in North America and Europe.
“I look forward to sharing our results and progress for our fiscal third quarter in mid-September, and we anticipate the closing of this facility around the same time. I remain as confident as ever in High Tide’s growth trajectory in Canada, the United States, and newly-emerging international markets,” added Mr. Grover.
“We have watched locally based High Tide execute over the last several years. Accordingly, we are very excited about this new partnership between High Tide and connectFirst helping to create a more prosperous Alberta – and beyond. Our senior debt offering will provide High Tide the capital to continue to execute their impressive growth trajectory,” said Sourav Neogi, Relationship Manager, Corporate & Commercial Banking, Connect First Credit Union.
COMMITMENT LETTER TERMS
- CAD$19 Million Term Debt: Accessible on request by High Tide, blended principal and interest payments.
- Low Interest Rate: High Tide continues to receive industry leading interest rates that reflect the strength of its business.
- Financial Covenants: The Credit Facility will have a quarterly tested financial covenant of debt service coverage ratio of not less than 1.40:1, a monthly current ratio covenant of not less than 1.25:1, and a quarterly tested covenant of funded debt to EBITDA ratio of not more than 3:1 beginning with the quarter ending January 31, 2023. High Tide’s 12-month forecast projects it to be comfortably in compliance with all financial covenants.
The Company expects to close on the Credit Facility during the first half of September 2022, subject to certain pre-disbursement conditions and satisfaction of other customary conditions precedent.
ABOUT CONNECTFIRST
Connect First Credit Union Ltd., one of the largest and most successful credit unions in Canada, is a full-service financial institution with over $6 billion in assets under administration. connectFirst employs 750 Albertans who provide a range of financial products and advice in more than 40 communities across central and southern Alberta. It serves over 125,000 members through a community-focused approach to banking.
ABOUT HIGH TIDE
High Tide is a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets. The Company is the largest Canadian retailer of recreational cannabis as measured by revenue, with 139 current locations spanning Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The Company is also North America’s first cannabis discount club retailer, under the Canna Cabana banner, which is the single-largest cannabis retail brand in Canada with additional locations under development across the country. High Tide’s portfolio also includes retail kiosk and smart locker technology – Fastendr™. High Tide has been serving consumers for over a decade through its established e-commerce platforms including Grasscity.com, Smokecartel.com, Dailyhighclub.com, and Dankstop.com and more recently in the hemp-derived CBD space through Nuleafnaturals.com, FABCBD.com, BlessedCBD.co.uk,, BlessedCBD.de, and Amazon UK, as well as its wholesale distribution division under Valiant Distribution, including the licensed entertainment product manufacturer Famous Brandz. High Tide was featured in the third annual Report on Business Magazine’s ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies in 2021 and was named as one of the top 10 performing diversified industries stocks in the 2022 TSX Venture 50™. High Tide’s strategy as a parent company is to extend and strengthen its integrated value chain, while providing a complete customer experience and maximizing shareholder value.
For more information about High Tide Inc., please visit www.hightideinc.com, its profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its profile page on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
