Times are good for food and beverage companies — maybe too good. Sherbrooke Capital founder and Managing General Partner John Giannuzzi has been keeping track of deal flow and investment opportunities in the food and beverage space for more than 20 years, and he will be speaking at BevNET Live in Manhattan on the potential for a bubble in the investing environment with regard to those kinds of companies.
It’s a position few beverage entrepreneurs want to consider, given the positive momentum that has many brands commanding strong valuations from an increasing number of strategics, funds, and growth capital firms. But there may be a limited number of chances for brands, particularly those operating in crowded categories, to find the right partner, particularly when a hot market may have resulted in entrepreneurs inflating their own expectations. With the good times still here, it might be hard to see a future endpoint; certainly predictions are an inexact science. But Giannuzzi, who specializes in investing in the Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Lifestyle realm, will offer a view that allows entrepreneurs to recognize what the potential triggering events might be to indicate that the end of the boom is approaching, and ideas about staying in the dance as the music slows down.
In his talk, Giannuzzi will also present some of the ways his team evaluates brands and teams for potential investment, as well as their methodology for applying capital and expertise to help those brands grow. The belief that growth will come is there: Sherbrooke and Giannuzzi have not shied away from beverage investments — currently, the fund has sports drink Kill Cliff as one of its holdings; it has also invested in Izze, Oregon Chai, and Adina in the past, along with comparable food brands Angie’s Kettle Corn, Ciao Bella, HalfPops, and Food Should Taste Good. His views on the value of companies in that space, as well as the way they can help themselves in good times and preserve themselves in bad, will be of great interest to the BevNET Live audience.
BevNET Live New York will take place on June 2 and 3 at the Metropolitan West.
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Sponsorship opportunities also remain — please contact John McKenna at (617) 231-8825 or jmckenna@bevnet.com.
About John Giannuzzi:
Since founding Sherbrooke Capital, John Giannuzzi has served as Managing General Partner and has recruited a team of professionals combining the financial, strategic and operational skills required to be successful investors in the HASL marketplace. John leads the firm’s investment and portfolio strategy. He is involved in the operational plans and activities of each portfolio company including development of the go-to-market strategy, recruiting the senior team, and formulating its exit strategy. John currently sits on the Board of Directors of Advanced BioNutrition, Boathouse Sports, Ciao Bella, Farmigo, Halfpops and Kill Cliff; prior to exiting the investments, he was also on the boards of Oregon Chai, Izze, Food Should Taste Good and Angie’s.
Prior to co-founding Sherbrooke, John was Managing Director and Group Head at BankBoston. Prior to joining BankBoston, he was a Senior Manager in Corporate Development and Strategic Planning at MCI and a management consultant with Booz, Allen and Hamilton. John holds a master’s degree from American University and a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.
About BevNET Live:
The BevNET Live program is designed to help entrepreneurial beverage companies of all sizes explore potential strategies for growth while building community. Speakers address the problems and challenges associated with moving across channels of trade, building established organizations, and consider capital structures that can fuel long-term success. Thought leaders like investors, retailers, distributors, suppliers, marketers and entrepreneurs join in moderated conversations and case studies designed to provide executable ideas for innovative beverage companies that are trying to reach their next level, while also sharing and enjoying networking in a highly collegial environment.