Katrina McKinley
CEO, GrowOp Farms
PRODUCTION LEADER | At the helm of the most successful cannabis production company in Washington, Katrina McKinley is continuously pushing GrowOp Farms success to new heights. Under her leadership the company has maintained its No. 1 spot in Washington while also expanding into Massachusetts and California. She’s aiming to bring the company to all U.S. markets.
Women to Watch
Welcome to Marijuana Venture’s 10th annual feature highlighting women in the cannabis industry. This year we are proud to bring readers the stories of 13 influential professionals helping to shape the industry through their leadership, insights and visions for the future of cannabis. The following women hail from a variety of backgrounds and each bring their own unique skillsets, experience and perspectives for the betterment of the industry.
It is an honor to share their stories.
“We are aggressive and innovative in our business approach,” McKinley says. “We strive to be a staple on the shelf of every cannabis retail store.”
Grow Op Farms plans to continue expanding across the country, but its success starts in its home state of Washington, where the company’s Phat Panda brand is arguably the most recognized cannabis brand in the state. According to state resources, Grow Op Farms has, with rare exception, consistently outsold every competitor since the company’s inception more than 10 years ago.
McKinley co-founded the business with her husband, Rob McKinley, in 2013, after the couple found success with a smoke shop they co-owned with some friends.
“When the state started accepting applicants for licenses, they called us and encouraged us to apply and get into the business,” she says. “Of course we had some apprehension, but we were also very excited to get started in a completely new market.”
But McKinley and her husband both had prior experience running their own traditional businesses and entered the new market with the advantage of knowing how a business — even a cannabis business — should operate.
Within six months GrowOp Farms took the No. 3 spot in terms of revenue for Washington cannabis businesses. Within one year of its launch, the company hit $946,000 in sales, more than the next two companies combined.
McKinley says the company’s Phat Panda branding and marketing helped the brand stand out to customers, but the quality of the products was what kept them coming back for more.
With sales exploding shortly after the company’s debut in 2014, McKinley realized the farm’s Tier III license, which allowed up to 30,000 square feet of grow space, wouldn’t be enough to meet market demands.
Capturing and holding that No. 1 spot in Washington for nearly 10 years is, with understandable reason, the company’s biggest milestone to date. However, McKinley says she aims to continue the company’s growth in its current markets and beyond.
“Our next goal would be continuing to increase brand awareness and getting our products into all legal states for consumers to enjoy,” she says.
When asked about the pressure of maintaining the No. 1 spot in Washington for more than a decade, McKinley expressed little anxiety about the company’s spotlight, plainly stating: “Our primary focus is on making our products and company the best it can be,” she says. “We are always looking for ways to improve to maintain our No. 1 spot in the state.”