December 3, 2024 | Samar Chand Joins Meaningful Partners as Managing Director of Strategy and Operational Excellence and will be based in Los Angeles.

Samar joins from Blue Ribbon Holdings, which owns the largest full-service beverage co-manufacturing asset in the U.S., and Pabst Brewing Company, a top-five U.S. beer brand. As Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Ribbon, he drove the organization’s strategic agenda, critical growth projects, partnerships, and M&A pipeline, while leading its international businesses. Previously, Samar worked at Heineken in Amsterdam as part of the Global Strategy Team, where he was instrumental in developing the company’s global strategy and transformation initiatives. He began his career in consumer investment banking at Barclays Capital in London and Citigroup. Guided by a passion for impact and purpose, Samar loves building on each founder’s vision, supporting their drive to offer consumers better, more thoughtful choices. He also serves as a board advisor/member to several consumer companies, helping them unlock their true potential and grow in a meaningful way.

November 13, 2024 | Meaningful Partners Dedicated Capital Vehicle I LP: Suja Refinancing and Distribution

We are pleased to inform you that Suja Life, a Meaningful Partners Dedicated Capital Vehicle I LP (MP DCV I) portfolio company has successfully completed the refinancing of its outstanding debt. In the coming weeks we will be distributing $10 million to MP DCV I LPs from our initial investment into Suja of $20 million. Suja has been a strong performer since we invested three years ago in November 2021. The company has exceeded our year 5 underwriting projections within the first three years of ownership and is positioned exceptionally well for future growth. Suja’s new CEO, Maria Stipp and the management team are currently executing on numerous exciting growth initiatives and the company continues to be a clear market leader in the fast growing better for you beverages category. The updated capital structure brings leverage back to ~4.5x (based on 2024 EBITDA estimate) which is in line with the company’s leverage ratio when we initially invested.

The Meaningful Partners Team

November 2024 | Active Apparel Group Secures B Corp Certification

Culver City, Calif. — (For Immediate Release) Active Apparel Group (AAG), manufacturer of performance apparel for the leisure/lifestyle and active market, has attained B Corp Certification, solidifying their role as one of a select few pioneers in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices for their industry, customers, and partners.

AAG achieved a score of 84.9 points on the rigorous B Impact Assessment (BIA), exceeding the 80-point threshold required for B Corp certification. This demonstrates Active Apparel Group’s dedication to workers, customers, community, and the environment, all part of the brand’s dedication to using business as a force for good.

The strongest areas represented in this score were Governance (17.6 pts), Workers (24.9 pts) and Customers (4.1 pts), which are significantly higher vs country, sector, and size benchmarks for similar B Corp certified companies.

“We’re proud to be recognized as a B Corp, which is a natural extension of our commitment to building a more sustainable and equitable business,” says Active Apparel Group CEO Henry Jones. “It sets us apart as a premium service provider and manufacturer in the global marketplace, assuring all stakeholders of our compliance with global best-practice standards. These standards also encourage continuous sustainable innovation, drive valuable operational efficiencies, and enhance our ability to attract and retain top talent.”

A highlight of Active Apparel Group’s certification was the achievement of hard-to-earn Impact Business Model (IBM) points for their practices in Toxin Reduction / Remediation. This recognition highlights AAG’s deep commitment to reducing harmful chemicals in their production processes through the use of 100% OEKO-TEX certified inks and responsible chemical management practices.

AAG already pays all workers a living wage. In 2023, an audit by third-party Bureau Veritas of AAG’s factory in China, Ningbo Longson Garments Co. Ltd (Longson), confirmed a 100% pass rate. Employees received wages exceeding the calculated living wage, 29% above the local minimum wage and 140% greater than the poverty line in Ningbo. Remuneration at this level remains a rarity in the manufacturing industry in China.

AAG has also committed to a structured approach in reducing its environmental impact across its global operations through an Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS, built using the ISO14001 Standard Framework, incorporates key environmental policy commitments and has set targets and strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations across China, Australia and the USA.

B Corp certification places AAG’s environmental, social, and governance practices in the company of a select few manufacturers in the performance apparel manufacturing industry, giving all AAG customers the confidence that they are partnering with a global leader in this space.

About Active Apparel Group
Active Apparel Group (AAG) offers premium end-to-end solutions in the design, development, production, and distribution of technical performance apparel. Known for impeccable craftsmanship, AAG customers receive the benefit of over 35 years of deep technical expertise in performance textile development, garment engineering, design, and manufacturing. With a comprehensive network that reaches across the globe (Asia, USA and Europe), AAG innovates and sources fabric from some of the world’s leading textile suppliers. Our factory features a market-leading seam-sealing, bonding, printing, and embellishment department that produces some of the most technically advanced performance garments in the world.

About B Corporation
B Corporation (B Corp) certification, provided by the non-profit organization B Lab, is a credential awarded to organizations that uphold rigorous social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency standards. Organisations undergo the comprehensive B Impact Assessment (BIA), designed to measure, manage, and improve impact across five key areas: Workers, Community, Environment, Governance, and Customers.

Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, August 1st, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – Meaningful Partners, LLC (“Meaningful”) today announced the closing of its acquisition of Fitness Ventures LLC (“Fitness Ventures”) the second largest Crunch Fitness (“Crunch”) franchisee. Founded by CEO, Brian Hibbard in 2016, Fitness Ventures is a leading health and wellness platform that currently owns and operates 47 locations with rights to develop clubs in multiple geographies across the United States.

With over 2.5 million systemwide members and 450 locations, Crunch Fitness is the fastest growing big box franchised fitness club system in the High-Value/Low-Price (“HVLP”) category. Crunch has redefined HVLP with its comprehensive gym experience, with high-quality cardio, strength and weightlifting areas, group fitness including high-intensity interval training, cycling, and yoga classes, all starting at $10 dollars per month. Crunch’s members also enjoy a range of value-added amenities, such as personal training, fitness assessments, Relax & Recover®️ services, and childcare.

Brian Hibbard, CEO, Fitness Ventures, commented “We are extremely excited about our partnership with Meaningful Partners as we continue to execute on our de novo and M&A growth strategy. The Meaningful team’s background and experience in rapid scaling of multi-unit locations nationally makes them an ideal partner for our next phase of growth. Our team is energized and excited to get to work.”

Amin Maredia, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Meaningful Partners, said “Crunch Fitness provides one of the most relevant set of offerings at deep value, meeting a long-term consumer theme of quality at value.

Under Brian’s vision and leadership, Fitness Ventures has systematically become the second largest franchisee and has built an exceptional team, capabilities and winning culture that are well positioned for growth. These capabilities combined with an exceptionally talented and dedicated management team, makes this an exciting partnership and investment opportunity.”

Jim Rowley, CEO, Crunch Fitness said “We welcome Meaningful Partners to the Crunch family through their significant investment in Fitness Ventures. This partnership reflects Meaningful Partners’ progressive view on Purposeful Growth Capital, a philosophy that aligns perfectly with Crunch’s commitment to innovation and excellence in the fitness industry.

I have immense respect for Amin and his remarkable accomplishments. His leadership and vision have made a profound impact, and we are excited about the potential this partnership brings.

Additionally, we would like to highlight the incredible success of Brian Hibbard and his team. Their achievements with Crunch Fitness have been nothing short of extraordinary, and their appetite for growth continues to drive our expansion and success.

Together, with the support of Meaningful Partners and the dedication of franchise leaders like Brian Hibbard, Crunch Fitness is poised for a future of unprecedented growth and excellence.”

Debt for the transaction is financed by the Credit Group of Ares Management. Greenberg Traurig LLP represented Meaningful Partners LLC as legal counsel and Latham & Watkins LLP represented Fitness Ventures LLC as legal counsel. Harris Williams and MOK Advisors acted as financial advisors to Fitness Ventures LLC. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

About Meaningful Partners LLC

Meaningful Partners, with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, invests in purposeful consumer businesses that have earned customer trust and loyalty, demonstrate a commitment to all stakeholders, and are led by management teams empowering positive purpose and performance. Meaningful Partners makes control and minority equity investments typically ranging from $10 million to $75+ million in lower-middle market and high-growth companies. The firm is led by an experienced investor and operator management team that leverages an Expert Community of 45+ CEO/Founders and discipline experts with over 850+ years of collective experience who bring relevant domain expertise to help accelerate the growth and impact at our partner companies. More at www.meaningfulpartners.com

About Fitness Ventures LLC

Founded in 2016 by Brian Hibbard, Fitness Ventures, LLC is one of the fastest growing franchisees within the Crunch Fitness system. The Company currently operates over 47 locations across twenty five different states, with several more in development. With a unique operating and development strategy, and a keen focus on execution, Fitness Ventures LLC operates some of the highest volume Crunch locations in the system and boasts industry leading financial returns. More at Home – Fitness Ventures LLC

About Crunch Fitness

Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of ‘No Judgments.’ Crunch serves a fitness community for all kinds of people with all types of goals, exercising all different ways, working it out at the same place together. Today, we are renowned for creating one-of-a-kind group fitness classes and unique programming for our wildly diverse members. Headquartered in New York City, Crunch serves 2.5 million members with over 450 gyms worldwide in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Crunch is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe. More at www.crunch.com

SOURCE Meaningful Partners

March 2024 | Meaningful Partners, LLC Announces Strategic Growth Investment in Allies of Skin

LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Meaningful Partners LLC (“Meaningful”) announced today the closing of a strategic growth investment in Allies of Skin, the science-led, supercharged skincare brand founded in Singapore in 2016 by Nicolas Travis. The capital raise will be used to fuel Allies of Skin’s entrance into the United States across the digital and retail landscapes, including furthering marketing efforts, driving cutting-edge new product research and development and strategically building a US-based team. Uniquely positioned with a devoted customer base internationally, Allies of Skin plans to bring their award-winning, clinically-backed skincare portfolio to the US market.

In 2016, Nicolas founded Allies of Skin with the goal of making clinical-grade skincare human, using his own story of self-acceptance to help individuals feel good in their own skin. Dedicating the past eight years to developing state-of-the-art formulas, experimenting with new active ingredients and finding the perfect concentrations, Allies of Skin is making science-led skincare for everyone. After starting the brand with three original products, Allies of Skin has expanded to a complete skincare collection, using clinically-proven actives in supercharged concentrations to achieve maximum results in minimum steps.

Beloved by celebrities including Kaia Gerber, Behati Prinsloo, Rose Bryne, January Jones, Phoebe Dynevor and Henry Golding – who was also an early investor in the brand – and favored by board-certified dermatologists worldwide, Allies of Skin is currently available in 36 countries and can be found across 40 retail partners, including Space NK, MECCA, Sephora, Dermstore and Cult Beauty and 800+ retail stores globally. Building on Allies of Skin’s success abroad, Meaningful Partners is committed to supporting the brand’s exponential growth across their existing markets and within the US.

“The last eight years have been an exhilarating journey, from an unknown brand to becoming Singapore’s most global skincare brand”, said Nicolas Travis, founder and CEO of the Company. “I cannot be more thrilled to welcome Meaningful Partners as new allies to help us in the next phase of our global expansion. We had an energetic connection from the very first meeting. Their focus on mission-driven brands and their hands-on approach make them the perfect partners for us.”

Obsessed with efficacy and results, Allies of Skin’s rigorous formulation standards revolve around their ingredient-first, supercharged clinical guiding principle. Nicolas has taken clinically proven ingredients such as retinoids, vitamin C, acids and antioxidants and supercharged them in biocompatible, optimally concentrated formulas that repair, regenerate and train skin to perform at its best.

As part of Allies of Skin’s mission to make beauty more human, they are vocal about their core brand tenets of inclusivity and mental health, donating profits each year to non-profits and supporting their customers in their journey towards feeling good in their own skin.

The Los Angeles-based Meaningful Partners invests in consumer products and services businesses at the intersection of purpose and profit; companies that have earned customer trust and loyalty and are led by management teams that empower positive purpose and performance.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Nicolas and the Allies of Skin team to continue to empower positive purpose and capitalize on the strong tailwinds in the science-backed, efficacy-driven skincare segment.” said Jake Capps, Managing Partner at Meaningful Partners, “After earning a fanatical customer base through their supercharged formulations and cutting-edge new product development, we look forward to supporting the Company alongside our talented bench of beauty operating Expert Members as they continue to focus on the expansive US market. With a lineup of clinically-backed new product launches, operational excellence and a strong team, Allies of Skin is positioned for success in the US during this exciting next phase of growth.”

With an unparalleled commitment to ingredient-first efficacy, Allies of Skin makes dermatologist-approved skincare for everyone. The brand is available globally via its website allies.shop.

Investment bank Raymond James advised Allies of Skin on this financing round. Greenberg Traurig represented Meaningful Partners as legal counsel. Withers represented Allies of Skin as legal counsel. The terms of the investment have not been disclosed.

About Meaningful Partners – Meaningful Partners makes control and minority investments ranging from $10 million to $50+ million in lower-middle market and high-growth companies. The firm is led by an experienced investor and operator management team that leverages an Expert Community of 45+ CEOs/Founders and discipline experts with over 850+ years of collective experience who bring relevant domain expertise to help accelerate the growth and impact at partner companies. More at www.meaningfulpartners.com

SOURCE Meaningful Partners

Meaningful Partners LLC (“Meaningful”) announced today the initial closing of a strategic growth investment in M2 Ingredients and Om Mushroom Superfood, (“M2”, “Om” or the “Company”), a vertically integrated nutraceuticals platform focused on organic functional mushrooms, providing clinically-proven whole body health benefits including cognitive, immunity and stress relief/sleep support. Meaningful Partners led the funding round and was joined by existing investors White Road Investments and InvestEco. The investment will help accelerate the distribution and marketing of Om as well as scale manufacturing to meet customer demand via their new state-of-the-art growing facility.

“Meaningful Partners is keenly aligned with our purpose driven company – M2 Ingredients/Om Mushroom strives to harness the amazing power of mushrooms for healthier lives”, said Dr. Sandra Carter, Founder and CEO of the Company. ”Meaningful’s network, capital support and strategic vision in conjunction with our current investors and team will position M2 Ingredients to lead the functional mushroom industry in science and scale as an ingredient supplier and to continue to produce high quality, highly efficacious and innovative products through Om Mushroom Superfood. Our company is built on the expertise and passion of our team who have pioneered the functional mushroom industry and we are proud to have Meaningful Partners support our team and mission.”

M2 Ingredients is a vertically integrated nutraceuticals platform, leveraging the power of 100% organic whole food functional mushrooms through their B2B platform, M2 Ingredients, and their in-house superfood supplement brand, Om. The Company operates the largest organic functional mushroom growing facility in North America, growing ten species including Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Reishi, Turkey Tail and Cordyceps, with seven patented strains. The Company has built a new 155,00 square foot growing facility in Vista, California, to open in Q1 2024, which will significantly increase growing capacity to satisfy its increasing customer demand.

Om uses M2’s high quality mushrooms to deliver innovative and clinically-proven supplements, powders, gummies, drink mixes and protein powders across the natural, direct-to-consumer and e-commerce channels. This new investment will support the Company’s execution of its strategic vision, including the strengthening of its leading market position across existing channels as well as expanding distribution to reach new customers. Functional mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years and have been increasingly used in natural/better-for-you supplements as well as food & beverages for their health benefits, including improved memory and focus (nootropics), immunity, stress relief and sleep support and more.

“At Meaningful Partners, we invest in companies at the intersection of Purpose and Profit so could not be more excited to partner with Sandra, her high performing management team and the existing investor group to help execute on the Company’s next stage of growth” said Jake Capps, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Meaningful Partners. “M2 has been at the forefront of providing the highest quality and clinically-backed functional mushrooms for over a decade and with their new, state-of-the-art growing facility will be well positioned to support existing and new customer demand in a category that grew over 50% last year. Additionally, the Company’s Om brand has the highest growth of any other scaled brand in the functional mushroom category with a massive opportunity to further increase distribution across every channel of trade to reach customers that are increasingly seeking to embrace natural and clinically-backed superfood products to help improve whole body health outcomes.”

Blair Kellison, part of the Meaningful Partner’s Expert Community of seasoned operators across the consumer sector, will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors of M2. Blair brings more than 30 years of experience in the natural and better-for-you food, beverage and supplement space, formerly serving as the CEO of Traditional Medicinals.

Buchalter represented Meaningful Partners as legal counsel in connection with the investment. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck represented M2 Ingredients as legal counsel. Harrison & Co. advised M2 Ingredients related to the financing round. Terms of the investment are not disclosed.

About M2 Ingredients

M2 Ingredients, founded in 2010 and based in Carlsbad, CA, is a leading producer of 100% organic, whole food mushroom powders with the full spectrum of bioactive compounds to support daily health, sports performance, recovery and cognition, with a consumer-packaged-goods brand, Om, that uses their high quality mushroom powders and proprietary formulas to sell easy-to-consumer, multi-factor wellness products utilizing an omni-channel strategy with nationwide distribution.

About Meaningful Partners LLC

Meaningful Partners, with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, invests in purposeful consumer products and services businesses that have earned customer trust and loyalty, demonstrate a commitment to all stakeholders, and are led by management teams empowering positive purpose and performance. Meaningful Partners makes control and minority investments ranging from $10 million to $50+ million in lower-middle market and high-growth companies. The firm is led by an experienced investor and operator management team that leverages an Expert Community of 45+ CEO/Founders and discipline experts with over 850+ years of collective experience who bring relevant domain expertise to help accelerate the growth and impact at our partner companies. More at www.meaningfulpartners.com.

About InvestEco

InvestEco Capital Corp has a 20-year history of investing in growing North American businesses. Since the launch of InvestEco Sustainable Food Fund I in 2012, InvestEco has focused on promoting Canadian and US businesses seeking to improve health outcomes and reduce the environmental impacts of the overall food ecosystem. Learn more at https://investeco.com.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Meaningful Partners, LLC (“Meaningful”) and Focus Impact Partners, LLC (“Focus Impact”) announced today the initial closing of a strategic growth investment in Skiptown, (‘the “Company”), an innovative pet services and social experiences platform. The investment will enable Skiptown to expand its operations and open new locations across new markets.

“We are excited and grateful to be partnering with the Focus Impact and Meaningful teams. With their expertise, capital, and network, we’ll be able to expand Skiptown into new markets, continuing our mission to raise the standard of pet care across the country”, said Meggie Williams, Founder & CEO of Skiptown, “Meaningful and Focus Impact bring decades of consumer technology, experiential services, and multi-unit retail experience. Their intense focus on purposeful profits and positive people impact aligns with our mission, and, together, we’ll establish Skiptown as the preeminent nationally recognized brand for pups and their people.”

Skiptown is committed to revolutionizing pet care services and providing fun, safe and engaging social experiences for pets and their families. Skiptown is a pioneer in personalized, high-quality dog care, offering a complete suite of services, including dog walking, dog daycare, dog boarding, and dog grooming. The Company’s services are built around a philosophy of creating a personalized enrichment program to fit each dog’s specific physical and emotional needs. Skiptown has innovated a private, indoor/outdoor, off-leash dog park and bar, creating a unique community for dogs and their parents. Skiptown’s robust technology platform enables and integrates its premium social and service offerings, allowing for a streamlined customer experience, personalized care for every dog, and simplified team member (“Skippers”) operations. Additionally, Skiptown is deeply committed to providing its Skippers with a rewarding work environment focused on personal and professional growth development, alignment, and teamwork.

“Skiptown is fundamentally changing the standard of pet care through research, people, and technology. We are excited to support Meggie and the team’s purposeful vision with our collective multi-unit scaling and operating experience” said Amin Maredia, Managing Partner at Meaningful Partners. “A significant addressable market with high growth and a unique offering makes for an exciting partnership.”

Wray Thorn, Partner & Co-Founder of Focus Impact, added “Focus Impact is pleased to be partnering with Meggie and the Skiptown team as they capitalize on the growth of the pet services industry and consumers’ trends toward experiences. With an innovative combination of premium pet services, engaging social experiences, and a scalable technology platform, we believe Skiptown is poised to expand significantly and create many more positive impactful outcomes for its employees and customers.”

In connection with the investment, Steve King, will be joining the Board of Directors of Skiptown. Steve brings more than 30 years of consumer experiential services expansion and operating expertise as the Chairman & CEO of Dave & Busters Entertainment Inc. and the COO and CFO of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide. Skiptown CEO Williams noted, “we’re also very pleased Steve will be joining the Skiptown Board in connection with this investment and look forward to benefiting from his many years of successful growth leadership in the consumer services sector.”

Alston & Bird LLC represented Focus Impact and Buchalter represented Meaningful Partners as legal counsel in connection with the investment. In addition, AlixPartners, Fuld & Company, PFK O’Connor Davies, Marsh USA Inc. and Mercer (US) Inc. provided due diligence support. Wagner Hicks PLLC represented Skiptown as legal counsel. Terms of the investment are not disclosed.

Focus Impact is a private investment firm on a mission to amplify social impact and generate impactful profits by bringing capital and expertise to “socially forward” companies, which we define as businesses that create positive outcomes for their employees and / or customers. Mission-driven and returns-focused, we endeavor to accelerate the growth of great businesses through a combination of intentional strategic leadership, comprehensive capital formation, deep M&A expertise, data & technology-driven business solutions, and a social forward focus.

Skiptown is the first integrated ecosystem for pets and their people, enabled by a cutting-edge technology platform and an expertly trained employee base. Skiptown offers an off-leash indoor and outdoor turfed park, a full service bar for humans, dog daycare, overnight boarding, dog grooming, and dog walking services. From valet daycare drop-off to the “Skippers” who monitor the pups at play, Skiptown is a doggie dreamland and high-end hangout for people and their four-legged family members. Skiptown’s technology platform streamlines appointment booking across all service lines. Skiptown customers can schedule and modify appointments, receive daily visit reports, and pay for services all through the Skiptown app. Learn more about how Skiptown is revolutionizing the pet parent experience at skiptown.io.

SOURCE Meaningful Partners

We are pleased to share that on April 4th 2022, Westrock Coffee Holdings, LLC, an investment of Meaningful Partners Dedicated Capital Vehicle I LP (MP DCV I), entered into a merger agreement with Riverview Acquisition Corp.
(NASDAQ: RVAC) through which the Company plans to go public.

April 04, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Westrock Coffee Holdings, LLC (“Westrock Coffee,” or “the Company”) today announced its plan to go public via a business combination with Riverview Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: RVAC) (“RVAC” or “Riverview”), which values the Company at approximately $1.086 billion. The proposed business combination will allow Westrock Coffee to accelerate the build-out of the United States’ largest roasting to ready-to-drink facility, as well as the Company’s further expansion into Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East in support of its blue-chip customers. Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named Westrock Coffee Company and is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “WEST.”

Westrock Coffee is led by Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Scott Ford, previously President and CEO of Alltel Wireless. Riverview is led by its Chairman and CEO, R. Brad Martin, Retired Chairman and CEO of Saks Incorporated and current Board member of FedEx Corporation and Pilot Company.

Click here for the full press release highlighting Westrock’s purpose-driven strategy that serves the world’s most iconic brands, delivers measurable global impact through sustainable sourcing, digitally traceable supply chain management and has a strong financial profile.

About Westrock Coffee Holdings, LLC

Westrock Coffee Holdings, LLC is a leading integrated coffee, tea, flavors, extracts, and ingredients solutions provider in the U.S., providing coffee sourcing, supply chain management, product development, roasting, packaging, and distribution services to retail, food service and restaurant, convenience store and travel center, non-commercial account, CPG, and hospitality industries around the world. With offices in 10 countries, the company sources coffee and tea from 35 origin countries.

About Riverview Acquisition Corporation

Riverview Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Management is led by Chief Executive Officer R. Brad Martin, President Charles K. Slatery, and Chief Financial Officer Will Thompson.

More information about the transaction is also available on the Company’s investor relations page at Investors-Westrock Coffee Company.

About Meaningful Partners
Meaningful Partners, with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, invests in purposeful consumer businesses that have earned customer trust and loyalty, demonstrate a commitment to all stakeholders and are led by management teams empowering positive purpose and performance. Meaningful Partners makes control and minority investments ranging from $10 million to $50+ million in lower-middle market and high growth companies. The firm is led by an experienced investor and operator management team that leverages an Expert Community of 45+ CEO/Founders and discipline experts with over 800+ years of collective experience who bring relevant domain expertise to help accelerate the growth and impact at our partner companies. More at https://meaningfulpartners.com.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Broadview Group Holdings, LLC (“Broadview”), a leader in directmiddle-market investing, is excited to announce its strategic partnership with Meaningful Partners LLC (“Meaningful Partners”) via its commitment to Meaningful Partners Dedicated Capital Vehicle LP (together with its related vehicles, the “Fund”). Meaningful Partners is a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, California, specializing in purposeful consumer businesses.

With the commitment to Meaningful Partners, Broadview broadens its network and capabilities in the food, beverage, and agriculture sectors. Broadview’s exposure and investing acumen will now cover the entire food chain continuum. “Because we are not a private equity fund, our permanent capital base allows us to be extremely entrepreneurial, giving us the flexibility to form these types of partnerships that not only generate excellent absolute returns, but also accelerate our own direct investing efforts and expand our capabilities in sectors we find attractive,” said Clay Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Broadview Group. “We’ve known and invested with Meaningful Partners’ principals for years, and this commitment simply memorializes and further solidifies the existing linkages, active collaboration, and frequent knowledge sharing between our firms. There’s no other team we know of that has approached building a firm in the thoughtful and differentiated way Jake Capps and Amin Maredia have with Meaningful Partners. Their deep belief that Purpose + Profit are inextricably linked aligns perfectly with our own culture and outlook, their network of true experts is unique in this space, and their insights into the consumer demand drivers shaping the food universe are unmatched.”

Jake Capps, Managing Partner of Meaningful Partners added, “We’ve worked with Clay and the Broadview team in various capacities for a long time, and we’ve known each other well for even longer. True partnership is everything to us, and the Broadview culture aligns perfectly with our own. The principals’ direct investing capabilities, food and agriculture operating expertise, and frankly just our desire to work closely with people we genuinely enjoy make them an ideal partner for us as we build Meaningful Partners.”

ABOUT BROADVIEW GROUP HOLDINGS
Broadview Group Holdings, LLC invests in and partners with successful business owners and growth-oriented leadership teams to help scale and create significant and sustainable value in commercial and industrial products, specialty distribution, industrial services and food and agriculture businesses. Our permanent capital base and long-term perspective ensure true alignment with our partners and portfolio companies. Broadview Group’s principals have decades of experience leading and scaling businesses and providing strategic insight and other expertise as executives, lead investors and board members in a variety of businesses and industries.

ABOUT MEANINGFUL PARTNERS
Meaningful Partners is a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, California that invests in purposeful consumer businesses that have earned customer trust and loyalty, demonstrate a commitment to all stakeholders and are led by management teams empowering positive purpose and performance. The firm is led by an experienced investor and operator management team that leverages an Expert Community of 45+ CEO/Founders and discipline experts with over 800+ years of collective experience who bring relevant domain expertise to help accelerate the growth and impact at our partner companies.

Contact: Alexander Kuhlman, akuhlman@broadviewgroup.com

SOURCE Broadview Group Holdings

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ –Meaningful Partners LLC (together with certain affiliates, “Meaningful”), a Los-Angeles  based private equity firm, announced today the completion of a strategic growth investment in Active Apparel Group (“AAG” or the “Company”), a leading, socially-responsible manufacturer of activewear and swimwear for both leisure/lifestyle and performance markets. Based in Brisbane, Australia with its US office in Los Angeles, CA, AAG proudly offers its customers a strategic end-to-end solution in the development and sourcing of active apparel products.

“Meaningful clearly shares our values and approach to business,” said Paul McCloskey, founder of AAG. “We are grateful to have found the Meaningful team who will support us with the resources to expand our business and better serve our partner brands. The Meaningful team collectively has decades of experience that will help guide AAG into its next phase of growth.”

AAG is committed to delivering cutting-edge, sustainable apparel solutions to its customers while providing its team members with a rewarding culture focused on personal development and teamwork. With multiple decades of experience in performance textile development and an in-depth knowledge of garment engineering and manufacturing, the Company offers an end-to-end suite of solutions for swim and activewear brands spanning product development and fabric sourcing to printing, embellishments and bulk production. AAG’s vertically integrated design, development and manufacturing solution is trusted by leading active and swimwear brands globally. This new investment will enable the Company to accelerate growth and expand its presence in both existing and new markets.

“We are excited by the opportunity to partner with the Active Apparel team in becoming the premier global activewear supplier,” said Jake Capps, Managing Partner at Meaningful Partners. “We look to invest in businesses with proven track records of success, experienced leadership teams committed to positive purpose and significant growth potential. AAG has shown all of these qualities. We look forward to building on this history of success.”

MinterEllison and Buchalter represented Meaningful Partners as legal counsel. AAG was advised by Jones Day on legal matters.

About Active Apparel:
Active Apparel Group is a leading, socially-responsible garment manufacturing group specializing in the production of activewear and swimwear for market leading international brands. The group is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia while the Company supplies to customers throughout the world including the United States, Australia, Europe, China and Canada. Active Apparel Group proudly provides its customers with a strategic end-to-end solution from development, sourcing and manufacturing to global delivery of garments.

About Meaningful Partners:
Meaningful Partners, with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, invests in purposeful consumer businesses that have earned customer trust and loyalty, demonstrate a commitment to all stakeholders and are led by management teams empowering positive purpose and performance. Meaningful Partners makes control and minority investments ranging from $10 million to $50+ million in lower-middle market and high growth companies. The firm is led by an experienced investor and operator management team that leverages an Expert Community of 45+ CEO/Founders and discipline experts with over 800+ years of collective experience who bring relevant domain expertise to help accelerate the growth and impact at our partner companies. More at https://meaningfulpartners.com.

SOURCE Meaningful Partners

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Sugarbear Vitamin Care (“Sugarbear” or the “Company”), a Fort Lauderdale-based vegan beauty and wellness brand, announced today it has secured a strategic growth investment from an investor group comprised of Nexus Capital Management LP (“Nexus”) and Meaningful Partners LLC (“Meaningful”).

“We embarked on this journey six years ago by launching the first cruelty-free, plant-based ‘Hair Vitamin’ gummy with the goal to disrupt the vitamin industry, and believe it is the right time to bring on institutional partners to help accelerate our growth,” said Nicole Johnson, CEO of Sugarbear. “We are incredibly grateful to have found the Nexus and Meaningful team who support our drive and commitment to first-to-market innovations, premium ingredients and user-friendly customer-focused solutions. Nexus and Meaningful’s leadership team collectively has decades of experience that will help guide Sugarbear into the next phase of its growth. We are excited to get to work and look forward to bringing to market new products the Company has been developing over the last eighteen months.”

Sugarbear specializes in vegan vitamin-based solutions that are made in the U.S.A. with organic and plant-based ingredients. By leveraging its strong reputation for delivering premium, high-quality wellness solutions, Sugarbear plans to expand its product offering from gummies to additional vitamin-infused innovations, delivering a 360-degree approach to beauty and wellness for its customers. This new investment will support the Company’s execution of its strategic vision, including the expansion of its leading market position in hair and other functional supplements, as well as accelerated growth in domestic and international markets.

“We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Nicole and the Sugarbear team in supporting the Company’s continued success and evolution from a category-defining gummy vitamin brand into a more holistic beauty and wellness company,” said Michael Cohen, Partner at Nexus. “Nicole is a true visionary and inspirational founder, and we look forward to our partnership as she continues to redefine wellness/beauty from the inside-out through her innovative products.”

“Nicole and the Sugarbear team’s passion for bringing environmentally-friendly, high-quality products with a repeatable innovation process makes this an exciting partnership,” said Amin Maredia, Managing Partner at Meaningful Partners. “We look forward to supporting Nicole’s vision and bringing our collective operational experience to accelerate growth at Sugarbear.”

Kirkland & Ellis LLP represented Nexus and Meaningful Partners as legal counsel. Sugarbear was advised by Goodwin Proctor LLP on legal matters, and Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to the Company on the transaction.

About Sugarbear:

Sugarbear was founded in 2015 and was immediately successful with the introduction of its first-to-market, iconic blue bear ‘Hair Vitamin’ gummy, which has been the #1 gummy vitamin on Amazon since its Amazon launch in early 2016. Sugarbear has since expanded into Multivitamins and Sleep Vitamins, specializing in vegan, great-tasting and premium complex vitamin formulations that work. Sugarbear products are sold globally and can be found online on Sugarbearhair.com,SugarbearVitaminCare.com, and Amazon.com, as well as in retail stores through partners such as Ulta and Target.

About Nexus Capital Management LP:

Nexus is an alternative asset investment management company based in Los Angeles, California that was founded in 2013. Nexus employs a flexible investment mandate that focuses on long-term value creation by partnering with leading management teams and businesses. More at http://www.nexuslp.com.

About Meaningful Partners:

Meaningful Partners, with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX focuses on partnering with purposeful consumer businesses with relevant and specific long-term consumer thematic trends. Meaningful Partners makes control and minority investments ranging from $10 million to $50+ million in lower-middle market and high growth companies, and is led by an experienced investor and operator management team. More at https://meaningfulpartners.com.

SOURCE Sugarbear Vitamin Care

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Meaningful Partners LLC (“Meaningful Partners”), a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, California, specializing in the consumer sector, announced the final closing of its debut fund, Meaningful Partners Dedicated Capital Vehicle LP (together with its related vehicles, the “Fund”), with $150 million of capital commitments.

Meaningful Partners secured commitments from a diversified investor group, comprising leading endowments, foundations, family offices and fund of funds. “We are humbled to have earned the trust and support of an exceptional group of sophisticated investors,” commented Jake Capps, Managing Partner of Meaningful Partners. “We are proud to have exceeded our hard cap and most importantly to have an aligned, thoughtful and value-added group of Limited Partners who support our mission to empower positive purpose while achieving best-in-class investment returns.”

Meaningful Partners announced the final closing of its debut fund with capital commitments of $150 Million.

“We are excited to be in a position to help build the companies of tomorrow and serve our partner company management teams by accelerating their growth and performance. Both Purpose + Profit are sacrosanct to us and we believe they are inextricably linked which continues to be proven out through data and outperformance of purposeful businesses,” added Managing Partner, Amin Maredia.

WHR Capital (i) acted as the exclusive placement agent and Buchalter served as legal counsel to the fund.

About Meaningful Partners

Meaningful Partners, with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX focuses on partnering with purposeful consumer businesses with relevant and specific long-term thematic trends. Meaningful Partners makes control or minority investments ranging from $10 million to $50+ million in middle market (>$3 million in EBITDA) and high growth companies (>$10 million in revenue with visibility to near-term profitability) in a proven, repeatable and disciplined process, led by an experienced investor + operator management team.

Meaningful Partners has curated a unique 45 person Expert Community with over 800+ years of collective experience across a diverse range of domain expertise and sub sectors within the consumer space. This group adds significant value through sourcing proprietary deal flow, providing real time insights during due diligence and delivering discrete post transaction value creation. All in our Expert Community are investors in the firm.

Jake Capps has been a private equity investor for over two decades with a passion for the consumer sector. Prior to founding Meaningful Partners Jake worked at three large private equity firms. Jake has led or co-led investments in dozens of consumer companies deploying over $1.5bn of equity capital. Jake holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Amin Maredia has over two decades of experience working within the consumer sector, primarily as an operator with growth stage, private equity backed and Fortune 1000 companies. Prior to founding Meaningful Partners, Amin served as CEO of Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM). Over seven years, Amin helped lead the company from $600mm to $5bn in revenues, 4,000 to 30,000 employees and helped execute an initial public offering for the company in 2013. Prior to Sprouts, Amin served in key global strategic roles at Burger King Corporation. Amin attended the Harvard Business School Management Program and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston.

(i) WHR Capital is a division of Blue Sand Securities, a FINRA Member.

Little Rock, AR, – February 28, 2020 – Westrock Coffee Company, LLC today completed its previously announced [https://westrockcoffee.com/blogs/news/westrock-to-acquire-s-d-coffee-tea] agreement to acquire S&D Coffee & Tea from Cott Corporation (NYSE: COT; TSB: BCB). The transaction, valued at $405 million, creates the nation’s leading integrated coffee, tea, and extract company serving retailers, restaurants, convenience stores, commercial accounts, and the hospitality industry.

The newly combined business, Westrock Coffee Company, LLC, operates several US and international subsidiaries. 
The US-based service providers include Westrock Coffee Roasting in North Little Rock, AR, which supplies branded and
private label coffee to global retailers and hotel chains, and S&D Coffee & Tea, in Concord, NC, which is the US market leader in custom coffee roasting and service, tea blends, and extracts. These operating subsidiaries will continue to serve customers under their respective brand names for the foreseeable future and will remain located in their current facilities.

“We are very pleased to complete the transaction on schedule, and our integration process is under way,” said Scott Ford, Westrock Coffee Company co-founder and chief executive officer.  “We are focused on creating innovative, quality products for our customers while continuing our combined commitment to delivering superior customer service across the entire supply chain – from crop to cup.”

Westrock Coffee can import, process, roast, grind, and package more than 220 million pounds of coffee annually. The company employs more than 1,700 people globally and is a recognized pioneer in farmer sustainability practices and supply chain traceability.

As CEO, Ford leads the company’s management team, with support from former S&D President and CEO Ron Hinson, now serving as chairman emeritus. Hinson, a 41-year coffee industry veteran, will serve in an advisory role on industry issues, customer support, and product development.

“Our foundation is and will remain coffee, but we intend to continue to lead as the industry morphs beyond traditional hot coffee into cold brews, custom blends, and other extract-based options which appeal to a variety of beverage consumers at home, in restaurants, and across the hospitality industry,” Ford explained. “It’s an exciting time to be part of Westrock Coffee – we are building an even stronger and larger organization, one that is capable of having a meaningful impact on and in the lives of literally, millions of farmers around the world and where there will be a number of opportunities for job and career growth here in the US.”

BBH Capital Partners, a private equity strategy of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., The Stephens Group, and Meaningful Partners provided acquisition capital, along with Westrock Coffee’s existing investors.  Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal advisor to Westrock Coffee.

About Westrock Coffee Company

Westrock Coffee Company, LLC is the leading integrated coffee, tea, and extract service provider in the US, providing coffee sourcing and financing, supply chain management, roasting, packaging, and distribution services to retailers, restaurants, convenience stores, commercial accounts, and hospitality customers around the world. With offices in ten countries, the company sources coffee from 25 origin countries and provides service under both the Westrock Coffee and S&D Coffee & Tea brands.