Marijuana Business Magazine February 2020

and they don’t understand that this isn’t a single process,” Braddock said. If a fledgling extraction company doesn’t understand the extraction process from end to end, a common mistake can be to buy quality process- ing equipment but fail to select the correct post-processing machines. “The biggest bottleneck is in solvent recovery, so, for that, you need high-throughput capacity,” Braddock said.  When it comes to automating extraction equipment, Braddock recommends keeping a technician on hand who understands the machines in the event the computer breaks down and the system needs to be operated manually. “If you have an operator and the system can be run manually and keep going, then you don’t have any downtime,” she added. Facility Design Both Rutherford and Braddock pointed to facility design as a key consideration regarding cost savings. Braddock recommends facilities be designed with a safety mindset. That should lead to a good flow of product because the facility will cut down on inefficiencies that might be unsafe or slow down production. She also advises that a lean production model—an approach to management that focuses on efficiency while maintaining quality— can help with your overall budget. Rutherford suggests designing a facility around the building and the business’ needs, rather than buying a prefabricated room. An extraction executive could save up to $40,000 by designing the room rather than buying a plug-and- play model, according to Rutherford. Prefabricated extraction rooms are less efficient in terms of production flow and don’t use the space as effectively, he said. With this equipment, a business ends up paying for space it’s not using, according to Rutherford. “Designing your space is going to be very important to the success of your business,” he added. Bart Schaneman covers extraction for Marijuana Business Magazine. You can reach him at barts@mjbizdaily.com .