Palladium Equity Partners Announces Sale Of Wise Foods To Arca Continental

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Dec 17, 2012, 04:18 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Palladium Equity Partners, LLC (together with its affiliates, "Palladium"), a private investment firm based in New York focused principally on investments in the U.S. Hispanic marketplace, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company Wise Foods, Inc. ("Wise" or the "Company") to Arca Continental, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AC) ("Arca Continental"). The terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Wise Foods is an iconic brand and a maker of salty snacks under the Wise(R), Cheez Doodles(R) and Moore's(R) brands, operating in 21 eastern states from Florida to Maine. The Company is headquartered and performs manufacturing activities in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Wise employs approximately 850 employees and produces nearly 40,000 tons of snacks per year. Palladium acquired Wise in 2000.

The staff and leadership team at Wise Foods will remain in place, led by current Chief Executive Officer Michael Scott.

Alex Ventosa, Managing Director of Palladium, said, "This transaction is the culmination of a tremendous success story for Wise Foods, and serves as validation of Palladium's mission to provide investment capital to businesses in the fast-growing U.S. Hispanic market. Since Palladium acquired Wise, the Company has made significant progress reducing its debt, improving operational efficiency, and expanding distribution of its products outside of its traditional East Coast footprint, winning numerous major national accounts with retailers such as Family Dollar, which has over 7,000 stores nationwide. We are proud to have partnered with Wise's management and we are confident that the Company will continue to grow and thrive as part of Arca Continental, an established leader in the Hispanic marketplace."

Michael Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Wise Foods, said, "Palladium has been a strong and supportive partner over the past twelve years. Their focus on companies serving the Hispanic market and deep knowledge of the food business have contributed greatly to our Company's success. As a result of their efforts, along with that of our employees, we have enhanced our Company's financial position and invigorated the growth prospects for our brand on a national scale, all of which has contributed to the position we are in today. We now look forward to a new chapter in our history under the ownership of Arca Continental."

Arca Continental is the second largest bottler in Latin America. It produces, distributes and sells non-alcoholic beverages under The Coca-Cola Company brand. Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, the company serves more than 53 million consumers in Northern and Western Mexico, Ecuador and Northern Argentina. Arca Continental also produces and distributes Bokados brand snack foods.

Kirkland and Ellis LLP acted as legal advisors to Palladium and Wise Foods for this transaction.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals, including the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, and is expected to close promptly.

About Palladium Equity Partners, L.L.C. (www.palladiumequity.com)

Palladium is a middle market private equity firm with over $1 billion of assets under management focused primarily on buyout investments. Palladium seeks to acquire and grow companies in partnership with experienced management teams, with a special focus on companies benefiting from the growth in the U.S. Hispanic population. Palladium principals have been actively involved in the investment of $1.5 billion of capital in approximately 50 portfolio companies since 1989 and have significant experience in financial services, business services, food, restaurants, healthcare, industrial, and media businesses. Palladium was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in New York City.

About Wise Foods, Inc. (www.wisesnacks.com)

Founded in 1921, Wise Foods, Inc. is a private company based in Berwick, Pennsylvania that makes and sells salty snacks on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Best known for its potato chips, Wise also offers other salty snack products which include cheese snacks, popcorn, tortilla chips and corn chips. The company's brands include Wise Potato Chips, New York Deli Kettle Cooked Potato Chips, Ridgies Potato Chips, Cheez Doodles, and Dipsy Doodles Corn Chips.

About Arca Continental, S.A.B. de C.V. (www.arcacontal.com)

Arca Continental produces, distributes and sells non-alcoholic beverages under The Coca-Cola Company brand. Arca Continental was formed in 2011 through the merger of Embotelladoras Arca and Grupo Continental, making it the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, the Company serves more than 53 million consumers in Northern and Western Mexico, Ecuador and Northern Argentina. Arca Continental also produces and distributes Bokados brand snack foods. The Company's shares trade on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "AC".

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SOURCE Palladium Equity Partners, LLC