GROUNDWORKS INDUSTRIES ANNOUNCES BILL FRERICHS AS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF RETAIL

GROUNDWORKS INDUSTRIES ANNOUNCES BILL FRERICHS AS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF RETAIL

Punctuating a period of rapid growth for the vertically-integrated cannabis company, Bill Frerichs has joined Portland-based Groundworks Industries as the new Vice President of Retail. Frerichs enters the position just as Groundworks announces more acquisitions, two new Electric Lettuce stores opening before the year’s end and an imminent entry into the California market by the flagship lifestyle brand, Serra.

Frerichs was the Senior Vice President of Retail at Zoomcare for three years, and, most recently, served as interim Chief Executive Officer of the expanding medical clinic company. As Senior Vice President of Retail, Frerichs oversaw 37 clinics across Oregon and Washington. During a nine-year tenure at Target before that, he led over 1,800 stores with areas of accountability varying from supply chain to pharmacy and clinic operations. That familiarity with emerging markets and experiential retail makes for a uniquely apt skill set in the legal cannabis industry.

“Bill is a charismatic leader who is excited to learn from our retail team,” says Groundworks COO Karlee Eichenberger. “His experience coming from a mix of traditional retail and the highly regulated industries of pharmacy and healthcare—not to mention implementing a highly disruptive, innovative retail model in the healthcare space—differentiated him as a leader in our search.”

Established in Portland in 2014, Groundworks Industries employs over 200 Oregonians and is among the largest Oregon-owned and operated cannabis companies. Brands include Serra, Electric Lettuce, Pruf Cultivar, Farma, and Canna-Daddy’s, among others. Learn more at gw-ind.com.