Apex Trading launches updated inventory features for cannabis businesses
Platform rebuild aligns listings with local operator preferences; company says Missouri-driven upgrades will benefit other markets
Apex Trading has launched new tools designed specifically to cater to the needs of Missouri marijuana sellers and buyers on its wholesale platform, including a complete rebuild of its inventory system that allows operators to manage single units and case quantities for the same SKU in one listing.
“We have a big release that’s specific for Missouri clients and one of their biggest issues with Apex compared to LeafLink,” said John Manlove, CEO and Founder of Apex Trading. “We fixed it and rewrote our whole inventory system really for Missouri people and most people coming from LeafLink, so it aligns better with how they want to sell and manage their single unit and case listings.”
Manlove said the new features are now live for Missouri operators, with Apex’s customer success team providing one-on-one support for anyone who wants additional help. “Our CS team is meeting one on one with each client who would like to,” he said. “We have assets and videos prepared, and we have already informed all clients.”
Building for today’s operators
Manlove said the Missouri release exemplifies Apex’s product philosophy: focus on real operator needs rather than speculative builds.
“Honestly, it is continuing to obsess over the client’s problems today and not try and build so much to the future,” he explained. “What is most important to our clients today is are you hearing me, are you listening, are you building solutions or improving existing tools for my needs today.”
“If we are not addressing their current needs and we are building stuff that is not core to what they need, then we have lost,” he said. “As long as I stay in the trenches with my team to understand what the client’s issues are and what they need the most today, and we continue to build those things, we are going to get to where we want to go.”
Missouri market drives national improvements
The feedback Apex received from Missouri onboarding sessions directly influenced the rebuild, Manlove told Greenway.
“Literally we were onboarding the Missouri operators. They were like, we love this solution, but inventory in LeafLink let us manage our single units and cases of the same SKU in one listing,” he said. “Over the course of the last six weeks, we rewrote our entire inventory system to work how these operators wanted it to work.”
“We are presenting it to all of our old clients at Apex and they are like, holy shit, we love this,” Manlove said. “The old markets who have already been with us are now being presented an even better way because of the Missouri market. The whole network of states gets to benefit from what was driven by demand in Missouri.”
He added that feedback from operators has been central to Apex’s development process.
“I think Missouri operators are starting to recognize that we care and we listen,” he said. “It takes us a while to sometimes build or change what we are doing, but we are always going to be here for you. We might have won some minds over. Now we have to win over the hearts. This is the way you do it.”
Data transparency and ongoing insight
As part of its continued investment in the Missouri market, Apex will also begin sharing a monthly “wholesale snapshot” with local operators.
“One thing we released now to Missouri is our monthly wholesale snapshots,” Manlove said. “We will pull wholesale pound pricing, package flower pricing, cartridge pricing broken up into live resin versus distillate, extract pricing broken up into shatter and wax versus live resin versus solventless, and pre rolls. We give the min, max, and averages for the market.”
Manlove said the data can help Missouri businesses plan and forecast more effectively while providing insight for companies exploring entry into the market. “Even other states can use it,” he said. “They can look at the last 12 months of pricing trends at retail and wholesale as they think about their business decisions, forecasting, or modeling, and we’re serving that up for free.”
Commitment to community and long-term partnerships
For Manlove, Apex’s approach is rooted in community-building rather than aggressive sales.
“We want the Missouri market to feel like we are there, that we are local, that we are supporting them, that we care,” he said. “We are grinding. We are building community. We are building trust with operators, which leads into more deals and hopefully a critical mass in the market.”
“We are not out there with a hundred salespeople and millions of dollars in budget for marketing,” Manlove said. “At the end of the day, we want to be a great steward for the industry and for the plant,” he continued. “If our service and what we offer aligns with the client’s needs and we’re solving the right pain points, then we’re going to be the best fit. If not, that’s okay, we’ll still be here in the future.”
Apex Trading has continued to expand its footprint across emerging cannabis markets, offering wholesale management software that simplifies ordering, communication, and compliance for licensed operators.
In Missouri, Apex has become a preferred tool for dispensaries and wholesalers, particularly following transitions away from competing platforms.
The company’s rebuild was driven by feedback from local licensees who sought greater control over inventory management, combined listings, and simplified product visibility. According to Manlove, the project began during Missouri onboarding earlier this year and quickly evolved into a cross-market enhancement after positive feedback from operators nationwide.
“Missouri has been a catalyst for innovation for us,” Manlove said. “Their feedback not only made the product better here, it made it better everywhere.”
