Food & Beverage Acquisitions in Maine

LesserEvil has acquired a majority stake in Portland, Maine–based R.E.D.D. Bar, marking LesserEvil's first acquisition and giving the company an entry into the functional bar category. LesserEvil will move R.E.D.D. production to its Danbury, Connecticut facility, incorporate the R.E.D.D. team (including founder Alden Blease), and integrate the brand into its better-for-you snack portfolio.

TA Associates has acquired Stonewall Kitchen from Audax Private Equity, with the Stonewall management team remaining invested and continuing to run day-to-day operations from York, Maine. The investment will support continued buy-and-build growth, including further acquisitions, product innovation, and expansion of Stonewall's wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

New York-based private equity firm Goode Partners LLC made a $30 million minority growth investment in JOCKO FUEL to support the sports nutrition brand's product-line expansion, logistics improvements, and broader retail and direct-to-consumer distribution. The capital will help JOCKO FUEL accelerate growth while partnering with founder Jocko Willink and the existing management team.

Arctic Glacier, a North American packaged-ice manufacturer and DSD distributor, has acquired Getchell Bros. Inc., a family- and veteran-owned packaged-ice and dry-ice producer operating facilities in Sanford and Bangor, Maine. The acquisition expands Arctic Glacier’s production and distribution capacity across New England, strengthening its ability to serve retail and commercial customers in the region.

Baltimore-based Tilley Company, a portfolio company of SK Capital Partners, has acquired Ingredients Solutions Incorporated (ISI), a Waldo, Maine-based distributor and blender of specialty hydrocolloids. The deal expands Tilley's food- and personal-care ingredient portfolio and brings ISI's R&D, blending and technical application capabilities into the Tilley platform.

Audax Private Equity acquired a controlling interest in Stonewall Kitchen, a York, Maine-based premium specialty food producer, from Centre Partners. Audax said it will support Stonewall Kitchen’s growth and buy-and-build strategy while existing management, including CEO John Stiker, remain in place; financial terms were not disclosed.

Sea Watch International completed a major investment and partnership with Look's Gourmet Food Company, Inc., d/b/a Bar Harbor Foods, acquiring a stake while leaving Michael Cote in his role. The transaction brings Sea Watch additional production capabilities and expands its presence into all-natural, sustainable retail grocery distribution for shelf-stable seafood products.