Piper returns 5x on Bottlegreen sale

The sale has generated a 5x return on the four year investment. SHS made a pre-emptive approach regarding the acquisition of Bottlegreen. The acquirer entered exclusivity for the deal on the basis of a good offer and an auction process was avoided.

According to the investor, Bottlegreen's performance has been according to plan.

Previous funding
Piper invested £5m in Bottlegreen in 2007. HSBC provided a debt package containing a mixture of term debt, asset finance and invoice discounting to facilitate the deal.

The investor has worked with the management to develop the business, focusing on re-branding products, creating a direct communication strategy and increasing sales.

Company
The Bottlegreen Drinks Company is based in South Woodchester, Gloucestershire, and produces branded cordials, pressé and sorbets. Established in 1989 the company today produces over 22 varieties of drinks and sells across the UK, Australia, Japan, Canada, Sweden and the Middle East.

People
George Adams worked on the deal for Piper Private Equity. Simon Speers, managing director of Bottlegreen, led the original MBO backed by Piper.

Advisers
Vendor - KPMG (Corporate finance); Bond Pearce (Legal).
Acquirer - Grant Thornton (Financial due diligence); McGrigors (Legal).

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• UK / Ireland
• Consumer
• Exits
• Piper Private Equity
• KPMG
• Grant Thornton
• Trade sale