Zoned Properties 
(OTCQX:ZDPY) is a strategic real estate development firm whose primary mission is to identify, develop, and lease sophisticated, safe, and sustainable properties in emerging industries, including the licensed medical marijuana industry. Zoned Properties CEO Bryan McLaren sat down with Executive Casts to speak about his perspectives on the importance on openly communicating with investors, a trait that investors often look to in order to gain trust in executives. In addition to this subject, we highlight Bryan’s comments on his background, the Company’s mission statement and its capital structure. Please take a moment to listen to these brief clips to connect with Zoned Properties CEO Bryan McLaren.
- Importance of Building Trust and Transparency
- Career and Background
- ZDPY’s Mission Statement
- Capital Structure
Importance of Building Trust and Transparency
Zoned properties was formed in October of 2013 by the original founding CEO who developed a concept around real estate in the medical marijuana industry. There’s a small group of different private investors and family funds that contribute to the first private rates its own properties did in January and February of 2014. Myself and my small family fund were one of the original, I believe 28 or 30 individual groups or investors that contributed to the first six million dollars its own property has raised.
Quickly, that group of investors discovered that there was very little transparency in the company’s operations, that the business model and what had been included in the original pro-forma was not exactly kosher. So, what the investors did was we came together and said, “Who is someone that’s local that can look into this further and create?” We love the original; we love the concept of Zoned as a real estate company who can form it into what it’s really become today.
So, I happen to be one of those investors that was local here in Scottsdale Arizona – it’s where a lot of the different property development opportunities were initially – back when Arizona legalized marijuana in 2012. And I stepped in as interim CEO with, at the time, no intention to continue on. But, with some opportunity and some different concepts of conversation, we’ve been able to really build the company into what it is today, with a strong financial foundation and the potential for a huge growth projection moving forward across the country.
Bryan McLaren’s Career and Background
My personal and professional background…I’ve worked for a lot of complex and large well-known business organizations, was a consultant in waste management and worked in several higher education institutions. I built a sustainable development program for Arizona State University, which is the largest university in the country. I’ve had a lot of success working with local Municipal Representatives. I’ve been on different city council commissions as a thought leader.
And my role here at Zoned Properties, we’ve been invited and have joined the Forbes Real Estate Council. We’ve joined the U.S. Green Building Council. I have worked in the past as a Certified Green Roof Installer. So, I have a lot of experience both in the parts of the industry that are the kind of boots, hands-on, actually swing, the hammers, developing facilities, as well as at the larger macroscale in the executive level of building a business, employing and engaging people, building the team and leading that mission and vision to actually building value and to operating business itself.
Zoned Properties Mission Statement
The mission of Zoned Properties is to identify, develop, and lease sophisticated, safe, and sustainable properties in emerging industries with a current focus on the medical marijuana industry.
Capital Structure
Currently Zoned Properties cap structure…we have about 17.2 million shares outstanding, but 55% of those are founding insiders of the company that have agreed to not selling their stock in the intermediate and near future. So, we’ve worked hard to keep a tight cap structure and avoid any kind of toxic convertible debt that will put pressure, unneeded pressure, on the stock and bringing money into the company that’s going to create a toxic atmosphere for our future investors and shareholders.
That’s a philosophy that I, as the chairman and CEO, have always had in running a company. And then that’s important to focus on building the business, focus on the operational fundamentals that keep the financials and the company itself strong. And avoid any attackers, whether it’s a high-interest debt company that’s looking to put a 15 to 20% bridge loan on the company or a highly dilutive equity financing that’s just looking to ratchet down your company stock and blow out their position to just take their profits. So, we’ve established some Financial Partnerships with firms across the country that are looking to join a long-term value proposition rather than just inject bridge capital into the company and then blow out the stock in return.
Bryan McLaren, CEO Zoned Properties Inc.
Mr. McLaren is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zoned Properties, a strategic real estate development firm that identifies, develops, and leases sophisticated, safe, and sustainable properties in emerging industries. McLaren has a strong professional background in the social, economic, and environmental development of complex business organizations. For more than a decade he has successfully implemented programs and projects for corporate and community organizations. Mr. McLaren holds a Bachelors of Business Administration and Ethics Studies from the University of San Diego, a Masters of Sustainable Development from Northern Arizona University, an Executive Masters in Business Leadership from Arizona State University, and an MBA focused on Sustainable Development from Marylhurst University. Throughout his graduate education, McLaren devoted time to community development and philanthropic efforts earning a number of honors and awards including Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society Membership and the Distinguished Walton Scholarship. Mr. McLaren is also a certified Green Roof Professional and has been certified as a LEED Green Associated by the United States Green Building Council. Prior to his role at Zoned Properties, McLaren worked as a Sustainability Consultant for Waste Management where he led the strategic development and operational implementation of zero-waste programs for Higher Education clients. McLaren has worked as a Sustainability Program Manager in the Higher Education industry and has been appointed as a City Sustainability Commissioner. Sustainable development has been a life-long passion for McLaren, who strives to create a global impact by forging a strong foundation for principles of sustainability in emerging industries such as the medical marijuana industry. See more about the company at the Company’s full Executive Casts series.