The Hi-Line Company was born out of frustration and responsibility.
While working in the Hemp and CBD industry, the team saw firsthand what was beginning to define much of the emerging marijuana industry: a lack of integrity, little concern for long-term community impact, and a “rockstar” mentality that treated cannabis as a branding exercise rather than a responsibility.
At the same time, simply considering entry into Montana’s regulated marijuana market came with real personal and professional risk. That tension, between what they were seeing and what they believed Montana deserved, lit the fire.
They understood something early and clearly: if they didn’t step in and build a local, disciplined operation themselves, someone else would. And that someone else would almost certainly be backed by out-of-state capital, detached from the community, uninterested in reinvestment, and focused on short-term extraction rather than long-term stewardship.
Even more concerning was the lack of internal self-oversight they saw elsewhere, no meaningful attention to responsible use, compliance, or the downstream effects on small communities. In a place like Ronan, that kind of neglect wouldn’t just be bad business; it would be harmful.
So they chose to build.
So they chose to build.
The Hi-Line Company began in 2020 with a single dispensary in Ronan, Montana, and cultivation operations in Conrad.
From the start, the goal was not rapid expansion or branding flash. The goal was legitimacy; doing things correctly, visibly, and in a way that would stand up over time. Vertical integration was pursued not as a power grab, but as discipline: control the process, ensure quality, remain compliant, and never outsource accountability.
Even the name came from that grounded mindset. For a time, there was no name at all. Then, sitting on a pile of wood at Colby’s ranch, the conversation drifted, as it often does in Montana, to practicality.
Chuck finally said what everyone already knew: “Let’s just call it The Hi-Line Company. We’re here in the Hi-Line. We grow in the Hi-Line.” It wasn’t branding. It was geography, honesty, and ownership.
“Let’s just call it
The Hi-Line Company.
We’re here in the Hi-Line.
We grow in the Hi-Line.”
Each member of the early team brought a distinct & necessary role.
Colby became the constant reminder of purpose, grounding decisions in why the company existed in the first place. When growth or opportunity risked pulling the company off course, Colby pulled it back to community impact, responsibility, and long-term thinking.
Chuck pushed relentlessly for clean, consistent, and sustainable products. His focus was never volume for volume’s sake, but quality built the right way, processes that respected the plant, minimized waste, and could be repeated without compromise.
Jessica brought discipline where it mattered most: compliance. In an industry where many treated regulation as an obstacle to be avoided, she treated it as a foundation. Her dedication ensured that Hi-Line would operate legitimately, withstand scrutiny, and survive regulatory shifts that wiped out less serious operators.
Keith brought a builder and fixer mentality, someone who understood how to make things work, keep them running, and improve them over time. His approach reflected Montana’s tradition of self-reliance: fix what breaks, build what’s missing, and don’t wait for someone else to solve the problem.
Throughout it all, Sam remained a quiet builder in the background, focused on infrastructure, systems, capital discipline, and long-term stability rather than attention or personality-driven leadership.
As the company matured, Matthew later joined the team, bringing an even sharper focus on sustainable, long-term growth. His influence reinforced what Hi-Line already believed: this was not about getting rich quick. It was about building something durable—an operation designed to last through market cycles, regulatory change, and consolidation, without sacrificing values along the way.
Each member of
the early team
brought a distinct
& necessary role.
As the regulatory environment shifted, and it did, repeatedly, Hi-Line adapted. While others chased loopholes or collapsed under changing rules, the company leaned further into compliance and legitimacy, even when it was harder or more expensive.
That discipline allowed Hi-Line to outlast competitors who were undercapitalized, overleveraged, or built to flip rather than endure.
Growth came carefully. Earned expansion replaced speculation. Infrastructure was built where others avoided it; cultivation, processing, logistics, and operational systems designed to last, not impress.
Each step forward was measured against a simple question: does this strengthen the company and the community ten years from now?
does this
strengthen
the company
&
the community
ten years
from now?
Today, The Hi-Line Company stands as a vertically integrated Montana cannabis operator rooted in place, people, and long-term ownership.
It is not a lifestyle brand. It is not a political statement.
It is a business built with Hi-Line toughness, clear eyes, and the belief that if cannabis is going to exist in Montana, it should be done right, by people who live here, work here, and intend to stay here.
done right,
by people who
live here,
work here,
&
intend to stay here.
