Lume Cannabis Co., the largest single-state adult-use operator in the U.S., recently announced the hiring of its 1,000th employee.
The company just opened its 26th Michigan adult-use store, making it one of the fastest growing, privately owned companies in the state, according to President and COO of Lume Doug Hellyar.
In fact, Lume remains on track to have as many as 40 adult-use stores open in Michigan by the end of the year and will have 100 stores open statewide by the end of 2024, according to the company.
“When I first joined Lume Cannabis Co. in 2019, we had just 75 employees. Fast-forward a little over two years and we now employ 1,000 people and counting in great paying jobs with high-quality benefits,” Hellyar said in a press release. “Our explosive growth over the last two years makes Lume one of the fastest growing, privately owned companies in Michigan. Every member of our team is integral to showing cannabis in a new light and I want to thank every single one of them for their hard work and determination.”
Lume prides itself on promoting from within and posts every job opening at each of its stores and at its cultivation facility, according to the release.
For instance, Megan Beuth was first hired in February of 2020 to be assistant manager of Lume’s Petoskey adult-use store. In July of that year, she was promoted to store manager. In early 2021, she was promoted to area manager and now serves as district manager, overseeing all Lume’s adult-use stores north of Saginaw.
“I can’t thank the team at Lume enough for seeing my potential and pushing me to work harder and uncover my true potential,” Beuth said in the release. “At Lume, we take great pride in working as a team and building each other up. Working for Lume Cannabis Co. the last year-and-a-half has been incredibly validating, and I look forward to the challenges and successes that come in the years ahead.”
Additionally, Kurt Isenberger joined Lume earlier in the year after spending eight years in a retail leadership role for Apple. The Marine Corps veteran is providing leadership training for employees at stores throughout the state and is slated to be manager of Lume’s Berkley adult-use store.
“Lume’s focus on people, whether they are customers or employees, is paramount and they strive to create the best experience possible for consumers and are committed to training and developing their employees,” Isenberger said in the release. “I am thrilled to help write Lume’s story and cement its legacy in Michigan. The future is bright for this company, and I am humbled to be part of it.”
Lume offers its employees a competitive benefits package that includes a 401k with a company match up to the first 6%, full health insurance coverage as well as life insurance, pet insurance, accident insurance, short- and long-term disability, an employee assistance program, paid vacation time and paid time off for community volunteer activities, according to the release.
With the surge in adult-use store openings, Lume is expected to hire an additional 200 employees by the end of 2021, bringing its total number of employees to 1,200.
“All of our growth at Lume has been organic and hasn’t come through buyouts or acquisitions of other companies, which speaks to the strength and pace of our growth,” Hellyar said in the release.
As far as products go, Lume offers more than 20 stains of cannabis flower, lines of effects-based Lume Cartridges and Lume Gummies, a line of Lume-branded CBD infused tinctures, balms and more. All Lume flower is grown in a new facility in Evart, Michigan by a team of trained and experienced growers. Lume-branded products are produced without harmful chemicals and go through the most rigorous testing in the industry to ensure they meet the highest standards for quality and safety, according to the company.
Lume operates stores in Adrian, Bay City, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Cheboygan, Cedar Springs, Christmas, Coldwater, Escanaba, Evart, Honor, Houghton, Iron Mountain, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Lowell, Mackinaw City, Manistique, Negaunee, Owosso, Petoskey, Petersburg, Saginaw, Sault Ste. Marie and Walled Lake.