As middle-tier consolidation marches on, distributors have a new service partner to advise on mergers and acquisitions, as Arlington Capital Advisors (ACA) and the Bump Williams Consulting Company (BWC) announced today the formation of a “strategic alliance” between the two firms.
The new partnership will focus on M&A opportunities and “strategic advisory services” for wholesalers, according to a press release.
BWC and ACA cited six industry-wide elements affecting all three tiers as reason to believe the beverage landscape has been indelibly altered:
- “The rising popularity of non-alcoholic adult beverages,
- The explosion of RTD [ready-to-drink] alcoholic beverages of all types,
- Large non-alcoholic beverage players entering beverage alcohol,
- Regulatory changes on the horizon,
- And, most importantly, the absolute control the consumer has over the future direction of beverage.”
“This is a uniquely compelling opportunity for us to partner with a longtime industry friend and colleague and his excellent team at BWC,” ACA director Ryan Lake said of BWC president and CEO Bump Williams, in the release. “We expect that this alliance will bring a new level of insight and strategic thinking to help us better serve our distributor clients.”
ACA has advised some of the largest transactions in the beer industry, including the sales of New Belgium and Bell’s Brewery to Lion Little World Beverages, Lone River Ranch Water to Diageo, SweetWater Brewing to Aphria (now Tilray), and Dogfish Head to Boston Beer.
Founded in October 2008, BWC offers insights into data, consumer behavior and pricing and promotion strategies to its beverage industry clients, as well as go-to-market strategies, regional and national account tactics, distributor assessments and portfolio innovation and alignment.
The two companies estimate that between them, their leaders have more than three centuries’ worth of industry experience, and have long collaborated on projects.
“We have worked very closely with Bump and his team for many years and are very excited to enter into this new venture together,” ACA strategic advisor JB Shireman said in the release.
“I have known JB for the better part of 20 years and have always respected and valued his view and unique insights into this business,” Williams said. “I think BWC can only become stronger and more valuable to our clients by partnering up with ACA and leveraging their expertise and deep bench of experience.”