Cannabis job recruiter Vangst makes third acquisition in 13 months

This post was originally published on this site

Sponsored cannabis industry news from MJbizdaily.com

Cannabis job recruiting firm Vangst has acquired Se7en Staffing & Employment Solutions, marking the Denver-based company’s third acquisition in the past 13 months.

The acquisition of Missouri-based Se7en strengthens Vangst’s position as a leader in cannabis hiring, increasing the company’s customer base to more than 2,000 businesses.

Founded in 2019 by Christy Essex, Se7en offers temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire placements.

“We’re singularly focused on connecting cannabis businesses with the best talent. That means adding the best talent to our team,” Vangst CEO Karson Humiston told MJBizDaily in advance of Tuesday’s acquisition announcement.

“Bringing Christy and her team to Vangst – we saw this as a one plus one is three. It’s an amazing opportunity to grow our business and put everything under one roof.”

Vangst has more than 300,000 workers on its platform and continues to invest in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered hiring automation.

According to the “2025 Vangst Jobs Report,” there are 425,002 full-time cannabis employees in the United States, a number that’s projected to reach 1 million in the next five years.

More moves in the works for Vanst

Humiston declined to disclose the purchase price for Se7en but said the deal was majority cash and some stock.

However, Humiston said she’s close to signing letters of intent with two more staffing agencies.

Essex, also Se7en’s CEO, will join the Vangst leadership team to help lead regional and national expansion efforts.

“This allows us to take our business to the next level,” Essex told MJBizDaily. “With all the products Vangst offers, it will enhance what we offer our existing customers.

“This will allow us to expand nationally with Vangst.”

The Se7en acquisition is Vangst’s third in the past 13 months:

Both transactions were half-cash, half-stock deals, Humiston told MJBizDaily.

Cannabis industry ‘is challenging’

“The integrations have gone phenomenally,” Humiston said. “The revenue from those accounts has grown, and we provide an enhanced experience to the customer.

“The clients that have come over have referred additional clients to us. Word of mouth travels. It’s brought us additional customers.

“This industry is challenging, and a lot of people have defaulted to the doomsday, woe-is-me mindset.

“This is an opportunity for us to consolidate. We’re going to keep our heads down and continue to execute.”

Although many cannabis businesses are struggling and cutting staff, Humiston said that Vangst offers a model where its clients can hire temporary workers when they need them and convert them to full-time W-2 employees at no additional cost if they work out.

“People are really relying on temporary employees,” Humiston said.

“As margins get tighter, people are getting much smarter about their labor.”

Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.