has been acquired by
Cascadia Capital, an investment bank serving middle market clients globally, is pleased to announce that it acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Seattle Cider Company and Two Beers Brewing on their sale to Agrial, the French farmer-run cooperative and France’s largest hard cider producer.
The transaction will help Seattle Cider Company and Two Beers Brewing accelerate growth through Agrial’s international distribution network, gaining access to craft beer and cider communities globally. It also allows Seattle Cider Company and Two Beers Brewing to invest in important expansion projects that are critical to meet growing consumer demand. The two Seattle-based entities will merge and operate independently as a single, wholly-owned subsidiary of Agrial.
For Agrial, the acquisition provides exposure to the American craft cider and beer markets, which will also support its launch of French cider brand Louis Raison in the United States.
“The growth and expansion we’ve achieved over the past three years has been terrific, and I increasingly realized that we would need a partner to be able to achieve our long term goals,” said Joel VandenBrink, founder and CEO of Seattle Cider Company and Two Beers Brewing. “Cascadia was instrumental in sourcing a partner who could help us meet these goals, while maintaining brand and product integrity. The team there understood the complex challenges to finalizing a deal and their counsel proved invaluable.”
“After a period of rapid growth for Seattle Cider and Two Beers Brewing, we recognized it may be time to contemplate a new partner,” said Erik Einwalter of Cascadia Capital. “The opportunity to join forces with Agrial presented an exciting opportunity with a European counterpart that brings substantial resources, complementary distribution and nearly a century of production expertise to the partnership.”
Founded in 2013, Seattle Cider Company has quickly grown to become Washington’s largest cidery and is now available in 12 states. It’s had a 71 percent increase in sales year-to-date, and expects to produce 21,000 barrels of cider in 2016. Two Beers Brewing, a craft brewery beloved by the Pacific Northwest for nearly nine years, continues to grow, with 21 percent growth year-to-date.
Famous for traditional French cider, as well as a variety of brands utilizing farmer developed products, Agrial is the number one cider producer and seller in France. Owned by a large community of growers, Agrial offers more than 100 years of experience, a dedicated quality and innovation team, and distribution connections worldwide.
For more information about this transaction, please contact Cascadia’s Consumer & Retail team:
Erik Einwalter
Vice President
einwalter@cascadiacapital.com
(206) 436-2538
Bryan Jaffe
Managing Director
bjaffe@cascadiacapital.com
(206) 436-2534
John C. Siegler
Managing Director
jsiegler@cascadiacapital.com
(206) 436-2550