BeLeaf named Company of the Year by Greenway readers

BeLeaf Medical, one of Missouri’s original vertical marijuana operators, was chosen as Company of the Year in Greenway Magazine’s Best of the Industry Awards for 2025. This recognition, voted on by readers and peers, highlights BeLeaf’s continued success in growth, adaptability, and community engagement.

Co-Founder Kevin Riggs shared his thoughts on the past year and what sets BeLeaf apart in the industry with Greenway ahead of the announcement.

2024 was a year of expansion, growth, and revitalization for the company and its banner brands, SWADE and Sinse, with new retail acquisitions, operational improvements, and a focus on responding to industry shifts.

“BeLeaf takes pride in reflecting on this past year – marked by growth, adaptability, and notable achievements. The cannabis industry is known for its volatile highs and lows, which bring about continual challenges and change. We always focus on how and where we can do better, and there is always an opportunity for growth both internally and externally within our company and team,” Riggs explained.

“Growth – We acquired two additional retail licenses and locations in August, adding to our retail footprint in Missouri. We continue to look for additional opportunities to grow and expand our company and brand.

“Adaptability – We overcame DCR regulatory updates and changes in a quicker turnaround than expected. We caught up with the supply and demand issues in retail and within our wholesale relationships, with some forms of automation to keep up with product demand. We won some and lost some, and learned from everything we faced. Our team is resilient and has done well when faced with change.”

“Notable achievements – Our brand and products have continued to climb charts in different categories. We have been nominated for different awards from our customers and communities. We have sponsored and partnered at different festivals and music events, sharing our love and education for cannabis with our communities. We also have team members presenting at cannabis industry events, educating people around industry-related topics.”

As Missouri’s cannabis industry has grown, competition among operators has increased, for Riggs and the team at BeLeaf, its roots and business model provide a defined approach that has fostered symmetry inside the company.

“We are a vertically integrated cannabis company, which is super beneficial in the industry, as we have the ability to do all functions necessary to operate. This means we can grow, sell, and transport our products anywhere in the state. We also have a stellar team, who strive to keep our brand and products at the highest level of excellence for our customers. We take pride in the relationships we have with others in the industry because, at the end of the day, we all began this journey with the same purpose—to educate and provide products that benefit and bring joy to our cannabis consumers’ daily lives.”

While strategy and vision have played a key role in BeLeaf’s achievements, Riggs emphasizes that the company’s success is driven most by the people behind it.

   

“We have a wonderful leadership team, and the credit should not stop there. We have a well-rounded team in all capacities. No one position is better than another, as we all play our part in the success of our brand, products, and company. We are all here for the love of this amazing plant, and that is the core driver of our success. I believe people are happier when they love what they do each day. My hope is our company and this industry serve as a source of happiness for many, whether you are on our team or are a consumer of our products. From seed to store, our products are cared for with passion and love the whole way through. We wouldn’t be where we are in the industry without our entire team, and I say that with so much gratitude.”

BeLeaf’s community involvement

Beyond business, the company continues to demonstrate corporate philanthropy and encourage its employees to be active participants, creating a climate of citizenship.

“We are active in the local communities with different sponsorships and partnerships at events. We also started a volunteer program in the fall of 2023. We give employees two days per calendar year to sign up for a volunteer session in the fall or spring each year. We partner with the local parks, food pantries, and animal shelters in the St. Charles and St. Louis County areas. We will be working on extending our volunteer opportunities to Eureka, Rolla, and KC as those are communities we have grown into this past year and will want to extend our community involvement to all we serve.”

That sense of community is a large part of company culture, and is an important aspect of BeLeaf’s identity. That showed through as Riggs reflected on his favorite memory or milestone in the last year. rather than discussing a historic sales mark, retail expansion, a new product launch, or brand revitalization, he chose to focus on event that brought the entire Beleaf team together.

“Our holiday party was hosted at Delmar Hall. It was a great event and a packed house. It is the only time each year we all gather and celebrate what has joined us all together—our love for plant medicine. We celebrated with music, food, drinks, games, gifts, and even Canna Klaus. It is so rewarding to see our team of a few hundred celebrating together.”

Looking ahead to 2025

After a year of renewal and recognition, BeLeaf, like the cannabis plant itself, appears to be poised for abundance.

“We entered 2025 strongly, as growth has continued with our company acquiring five additional dispensaries in the western side of the state (KC area) in early February. We plan to continue to grow our company and share our retail footprint and love for cannabis throughout the state and possibly beyond. Looking ahead, we are eager to build on this year’s progress and remain optimistic about the opportunities and successes that await in the new year.”

With its focus on growth, adaptability, and community, BeLeaf’s selection as Company of the Year by peers is a testament to the impact the company has made on Missouri’s cannabis market.