Koustas & Co (“Koustas”) has advised long standing client, StrangeLove Drinks (“StrangeLove”) on the sale of its business to Asahi Beverages (“Asahi”) – the Australian subsidiary of global beverage business Asahi Group Holdings which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Established in 2012 – StrangeLove has since created some of the most exciting, interesting and iconic non-alcoholic drinks – drinks with big flavours and great packaging.  Those drinks are now found in many of Australia’s best eateries, wineries, distilleries, hotels, dive bars and premium retailers.

As reported in the The Australian Financial Review – StrangeLove Drinks completed the sale to Asahi late last month resulting in the culmination of a long-planned strategic divestment process.

Director Damien Burke and Corporate Advisory Principal Dylan Davidson led the Koustas team advising on the transaction.

StrangeLove’s Co-founder, James Bruce, commented on the sale:

“The acquisition of our company by Asahi represents an amazing opportunity for StrangeLove to find a wider audience and benefit from the wealth of expertise and knowledge Asahi Beverages bring to the table. Koustas have been an absolutely integral part of our growth over the last several years and were instrumental in helping us navigate the sale process and achieve such an amazing outcome”.

Damien Burke congratulated our clients on the sale: “The acquisition by Asahi recognises StrangeLove’s unique position in Australia. The merged business will be well placed to expand throughout Australia and beyond. This milestone transaction is a great result for our client, who will remain actively involved as leaders in the merged business – as will our firm – contributing to its continued success and growth”.

Dylan Davidson also noted the significance of the cross-border deal in the context of the wider sector: “We are expecting that the trend of increased consolidation of the beverage sector will continue on a global scale, with larger international players acquiring businesses with an established footprint in their respective locations and market niche positions.”

Asahi Group Holdings is the largest brewer in Japan with a head office in Tokyo, 147 subsidiaries globally manufacturing in 95 plants with 31,600 employees.

Koustas & Co (“Koustas”) has advised long standing client, Septic Systems Australia Pty Ltd (“Septic Systems”) on its purchase of Yarra Valley Tank Cleaning and Yarra Valley Liquid Waste (“Yarra Valley”) – a business with a 25 year history in providing a specialised range of liquid waste services.

Based in Melbourne, Australia – Septic Systems has been involved in the design, installation, servicing and repairs of residential and commercial septic systems since 2003 and boasts a fully integrated partnership with liquid waste provider, Harmor Services.

Septic Systems completed the acquisition of Yarra Valley early last month resulting in the culmination of a long-planned strategic growth phase.

Director Damien Burke and Corporate Advisory Principal Dylan Davidson led the Koustas team advising on the transaction.

Septic Systems Managing Director, Leighton Morley, commented on the acquisition:

“Harmor’s recent acquisition of Yarra Valley Septics cements its leadership position in the liquid waste market in Melbourne’s eastern region and expands its existing customer base of residential and business clients while also providing an important, authorised access point into the sewage network system for bulk sewage disposal services. Koustas & Co have been integral to both the ongoing growth of our business and success of this recent transaction, which was expertly managed from the early stages of due diligence thorough to the completion of the sale and transition of the business.”

Damien Burke congratulated our clients on the sale: “The acquisition of Yarra Valley Tank Cleaning and Liquid Waste by Septic Systems is a key plank in their ongoing growth strategy. The merged business will be well placed to provide an expanded range of core septic and related services. The purchase is a great result for our client and is a credit to the way they executed the transaction”.

Executing the transaction in concert with Amelia Edwards and her team from Universal Counsel, Dylan Davidson noted the complexity in the transaction which required the Koustas team to provide the following services: –

– Buy side lead transaction advisory & due diligence

– Financial modelling

– Valuation assessment pre and post transaction

– Securing competitive financing

– Stakeholder management and negotiation strategy

– Planning for a successful day 1

– Deal execution and coordination of legal advisors

For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact Matthew Swannie on +61 3 8530 1600.

Matthew is Business + Practice Development Manager at Koustas & Co