Greenwood Village, CO, January 2, 2013- MicroStar Logistics, the market leading provider of keg management services to the U.S. craft beer industry, announced today that it has been acquired by Freeman Spogli & Co., the Pohlad Family and Management. MicroStar was previously a portfolio company of Trilantic Capital Partners.
Founded in 1996, MicroStar owns the largest independent keg fleet in the U.S., managing a pool of over 1.4 million kegs and the corresponding logistical needs for over 160 craft brewery customers. MicroStar also works with over 1,600 distributors to help their craft brewery customers reach thousands of food and beverage retail establishments nationwide. MicroStar's unique program offers craft brewery customers a compelling value proposition by enabling them to avoid (i) the investment needed to acquire and maintain an internal keg fleet and (ii) the burden of managing the reverse logistics of empty kegs. The Company leverages its asset ownership, pooling advantages and logistics capabilities to ensure on-time keg supply to craft brewers, allowing its customers to "ship and forget."
"We are excited to partner with Freeman Spogli and the Pohlad Family as we embark on the next chapter of our growth phase. Our partners' expertise and valuable business experience in the distribution sector will be an important resource as we continue to develop and grow our business," said Lauri Honea, Chief Executive Officer of MicroStar.
The existing management team, led by Lauri Honea, will continue to manage and operate the business.
"Lauri and the entire team have done a terrific job building MicroStar into the leading provider of value-added keg management services," said Alex Ware, EVP of Strategic Development for the Pohlad Family.
"The combination of asset ownership and logistics capabilities offers customers a cost-effective and differentiated value proposition. We and the Pohlad Family are pleased to be long-term partners with the management team and look forward to helping MicroStar continue its growth trajectory," said Jon Ralph, a General Partner of Freeman Spogli.
Harris Williams & Co. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC acted as sell-side advisors to Trilantic Capital Partners and MicroStar. McNally Capital, LLC served as an advisor to the Pohlad Family.
About MicroStar
Founded in 1996, MicroStar Logistics, based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, is the market leading provider of keg management and logistics services to the U.S. craft beer industry. The company manages a pool of over 1.4 million kegs and the corresponding logistical needs for over 160 craft brewery customers. The Company provides a cost effective outsourced solution that enables its customers to preserve capital and focus on core competencies such as production and marketing. MicroStar also manages over 60,000 intermediate bulk containers on behalf of industrial customers. For additional information, visit www.microstarkegs.com.
About Freeman Spogli & Co.
Freeman Spogli & Co. is a private equity firm dedicated exclusively to investing in and partnering with management in consumer-related and distribution companies in the United States. Since its founding in 1983, Freeman Spogli has invested $3.1 billion in 48 portfolio companies with aggregate transaction value of over $18 billion, and is currently investing out of its sixth fund. Freeman Spogli has offices in Los Angeles and New York. For additional information, visit www.freemanspogli.com.
About the Pohlad Companies
Founded by legendary entrepreneur Carl R. Pohlad in the 1950s, The Pohlad Companies are built on a strong foundation of business knowledge and entrepreneurial success across a variety of industries, including beverage production and distribution, automotive, retail, banking, financial services, commercial real estate, entertainment, and technology, as well as ownership of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. Managed now by the second generation of the Pohlad family, the 22 operating companies in the family portfolio remain united through common ownership, shared values, and a commitment to customers and employees. For additional information, visit www.pohladcompanies.com.
About Trilantic Capital Partners
Trilantic Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on control and significant minority investments in North America and Europe with primary investment focus in the consumer, energy, financial and business services sectors. Trilantic was formed in 2009 by the former principals of Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking, where they created a strong track record of investing in and building successful growth businesses. Trilantic currently manages four institutional private equity funds with aggregate capital commitments of $5.0 billion.