Saothair Capital completes acquisition of North American Breweries from Heineken

• The company will revert to its former name, North American Breweries, to better reflect the regional heritage of its brand portfolio
• Peter Bodenham will join as chief executive, bringing more than 25 years of executive commercial experience across InBev, NAB and Sleeman Breweries
• The business operates out of the Genesee Brewery in Rochester, employing more than 700 people

Saothair Capital Partners has completed the acquisition of CCR American Holdings, doing business as FIFCO USA, from Distribuidora La Florida, a subsidiary of Heineken, through a newly formed affiliate, for undisclosed terms. The acquired business will return to its former name, North American Breweries, to align its identity with the regional heritage of its brand portfolio.

Headquartered in Rochester, New York, North American Breweries brews, packages, markets and sells branded beer and ready-to-drink beverages through an independent network of wholesalers, according to the company. Its portfolio includes Labatt, Genesee, Seagram’s Escapes, Lipton Hard Iced Tea and Bubly Wine Refresher. The company operates out of the Genesee Brewery, among the oldest and largest continually operating breweries in the US, and employs more than 700 people. The brewery includes a new brewhouse, new filters and fermentation tanks, a dedicated cold block facility and a high-speed canning line.

Peter Bodenham will join North American Breweries as chief executive, bringing more than 25 years of executive commercial experience across InBev, NAB and Sleeman Breweries. He held senior marketing roles at NAB and its predecessor from 2007 to 2014, including vice president of marketing from 2009 to 2014, and most recently led marketing at Sleeman Breweries.

“Having led this business myself, I know firsthand what makes NAB special,” said Rich Lozyniak, co-founder and operating partner at Saothair and former CEO of NAB from 2009 to 2014. “I look forward to supporting Peter and the broader management team as they take the business forward … Our focus is to provide the stability and resources this organization needs to keep serving its employees, customers and communities well into the future.”

Jenner & Block provided legal counsel to Saothair on the transaction. Heineken was represented by Sidley Austin for legal counsel and Bank of America as financial advisor.

Editor’s note: This news brief was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence.