Green Check Verified adds new wave of partners to Cannabis Services Marketplace

Green Check Verified, a leading fintech provider of compliant cannabis banking solutions and services, announced the expansion of its marketplace to include new providers in business categories, including banking, lending, insurance, human resources, payroll and payments. The providers were identified, vetted and verified for reliability, cannabis-friendly practices and cost-effective services.

Limited financial and business service options and exploitative pricing have plagued the legal cannabis industry since its inception. While competition among cannabis operators has increased in recent years — driving down prices and increasing need for efficiency and differentiation — so has the number of providers stepping up to assist these businesses.

GCV in January launched its longanticipated marketplace, a centralized platform where cannabis businesses can find financial and business products needed to grow operations. With early adopters in place, GCV is expanding the number of marketplace partners to provide as many options as possible for the 4,500 cannabis businesses currently utilizing the platform.

“Green Check has access to a vast network of cannabis-related businesses from across the country, and we are thrilled to be able to offer our services to this network as part of our participation in the marketplace,” said David Drescher, managing director of HUB International, a North American insurance brokerage firm.

“At HUB, we possess deep expertise and represent a broad product line in the cannabis space, and this new endeavor with GCV gives us the ability to greatly expand our reach to these businesses.”

The platform’s intelligent matching technology presents options to canna- bis businesses based on product/service fit, location, price and other factors based on provider data and Green Check’s insights engine. Key marketplace participants include financial institutions from across the country as well as the following:

• Lending Providers: Chicago Atlantic and FundCanna

• HR/Payroll: Green Leaf Business Solutions and Gusto

• Insurance: AlphaRoot, HUB International and NFP

• Merchant Payments/ Pin Debit: Bankcard International Group and Paynetworx

“The cannabis industry represents an exciting vertical for the important services we offer to small and midsized business types,” said Sonya Jamula, vice president of Channel Development for Gusto, a payroll, benefits and human resource management software company.

“The payments space in cannabis has had a lot of non-compliant solutions presented to them, which has been a roller coaster ride for merchants. We are happy to be part of the marketplace to offer a compliant solutions for today and the future when laws change,” said Trent Voigt, CEO of PayNetWorx, a global payments processor. “This marketplace is adding visibility into these options, and we are excited to put our solutions in front of the thousands of businesses on the Green Check platform.”

The expansion of Green Check Connect follows a flurry of announcements from the company, including a $6-million Series A earlier this year, as well as the release of several new product offerings. It has been repeatedly recognized as Top Compliance Company and Top Compliance Leader at the PBC Awards, the premier cannabis industry honors.

Kerrigan Advisors represents Estero Bay Chevrolet in sale to Group 1

Kerrigan Advisors, a sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented the Winton and Denson families in the sale of Estero Bay Chevrolet to Group 1 Automotive. Estero Bay Chevrolet is the top volume Chevrolet dealership in Southwest Florida, Florida’s second fastest growing region by population growth. With the completion of this transaction, Kerrigan Advisors has successfully advised on the sale of 14 Florida franchises since 2019, making the firm the most active auto dealership sell-side advisor in the state.

In 2007, Charles Winton and his partner, Pat Denson, were selected by General Motors to open Estero Bay Chevrolet in Southwest Florida, one of the most attractive markets in the U.S. As a result of their leadership, Estero Bay Chevrolet became one of the highest volume dealerships in the area, winning numerous awards from GM and the industry. Estero Bay Chevrolet ranks sixth in the state and 44th in the nation (top 1.5%) by Chevrolet new unit sales. The dealership has won the Chevrolet Dealer of the Year award every year since 2018.

“Representing Charles Winton and Pat Denson in this transaction was a true honor for me and my team. Estero Bay is not only an incredibly valuable dealership, it also represents Charles and Pat’s commitment to excellence and investment in their community. Estero’s success is a product of their honorable character and exceptional leadership of their employees and service to their customers,” said Erin Kerrigan, managing director of Kerrigan Advisors.

“Demand for proven, successful dealerships re- mains strong nationwide, and Estero Bay Chevrolet is a paragon of success in a premier auto sales region: Florida is the top auto retail market, and one of the most attractive states to do business. Charles and Pat built an incredible legacy of success and community service at Estero Bay Chevrolet, and it was a privilege to advise them on this transaction.”

“We were very happy to be represented by Kerrigan Advisors, a firm that clearly shared – and respected – Pat and I’s commitment to performance and professionalism,” said Winton.

Stephen Dietrich of Holland & Knight served as legal counsel to the seller. Buddy Dearman and Thomas England of FORVIS served as the seller’s accountants. Brian Nolen of Nolen PLLC served as legal counsel to the buyer.