Client: Gary Raden and his family had built one of the largest distributors of wine, beer, and related beverage products in the Pacific Northwest. Their customer base included restaurants, retail, bars, and hotels throughout western Washington. Suppliers included some of the largest and most prestigious wineries, craft brewers, and independent bottlers in the region as well as international brands.

Challenge: Achieving optimal value was dependent upon finding a merger partner with harmonious brands and market coverage. The nature of beverage distribution defined the pool of qualified candidates as those already established and others who wanted to enter this market - a relatively small market.

Process: Exvere evaluated both regional and national distributors against mutually agreed upon criteria. Several candidates for a potential transaction emerged and a series of interviews further narrowed the field to those with the highest potential for a successful closing.

Outcome: Columbia Distributing Company, based in Portland, Oregon was selected as the preferred acquirer. The transaction was structured as an asset sale in exchange for cash and short-term notes. Columbia retained most of the employees, customers, and product lines of G. Raden & Sons, which were blended into their existing organization and product portfolio.