Arlington Capital Advisors

Arlington Capital Advisors (“ACA”) and The BUMP Williams Consulting Company (“BWC”) are excited to announce the formation of a new strategic alliance between the two companies, which will focus on M&A and strategic advisory services for beverage distributors.

The principals at ACA and BWC bring more than 300+ years of insights and industry experience within the beverage space and will offer a unique perspective into the modern issues and opportunities facing distributors in today’s rapidly evolving industry.

“We have worked very closely with Bump and his team for many years and are very excited to enter into this new venture together”, said JB Shireman, a strategic advisor/industry veteran and partner at ACA.

Bump Williams, President & CEO of BWC, added “I have known JB for the better part of 20 years and have always respected and valued his view and unique insights into this business. I think BWC can only become stronger and more valuable to our clients by partnering up with ACA and leveraging their expertise and deep bench of experience. It’s important to always surround yourself with people smarter than yourself and this alliance allows me to do just that.”

Many factors across the industry are heavily influencing both suppliers and retailers and therefore the
distributors who serve them. Several of these are:

• The rising popularity of non-alcoholic adult beverages
• The explosion of RTD alcoholic beverages of all types
• Large non-alcoholic beverage players entering beverage alcohol
• The growth of DTC and e-commerce for beverage brands
• Regulatory changes on the horizon
• And, most importantly, the absolute control the consumer has over the future direction of beverage.

The parties recognized that these factors will bring complexities and challenges not faced by any of the traditional tiers to date and will very likely dramatically reshape the landscape in the decade ahead.

“This is a uniquely compelling opportunity for us to partner with a longtime industry friend and colleague and his excellent team at BWC. We expect that this alliance will bring a new level of insight and strategic thinking to help us better serve our distributor clients” said Ryan Lake, Director at ACA.

The BWC Company opened its doors on October 15, 2008 and has been operating as a strategic industry consultant to Bev-Alc/Non-Alc Manufacturers, Retailers, Distributors, Wall Street/PE Firms, Packaging Companies and Importers from around the world. The BWC Company’s portfolio of services focus on turning data into insights, better understanding consumer purchase behavior, the impact of pricing and promotion on sales, M&A, developing new product launch strategies, Retail and National Account tactics, Distributor assessment, alignment and Portfolio Innovation.

Arlington Capital Advisors is a leading investment bank focused on providing businesses in the consumer sector with financial and strategic advisory services, including sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory, sourcing growth capital and other capital-centric strategic alternatives. Securities are offered through its affiliate, Arlington Capital Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Birmingham, AL – December 1, 2021 – Arlington Capital Advisors, a leading consumer-focused investment bank, announces it has hired Stephan Pietge as a Managing Director.  

Stephan joins Arlington’s beverage team and will be focused on driving forward the firm’s leadership position internationally.

“We are excited to have Stephan join the Arlington team to strengthen our international beverage business and leverage our strong deal momentum,” said Vann Russell, Arlington’s Founder and Managing Director.  

“Stephan’s deep industry knowledge and relationships in the sector are a great complement to our beverage team. His addition to the leadership in our beverage practice will further solidify Arlington’s position as a trusted advisor to leading consumer brands globally.” 

“Arlington’s leadership position, relationships, passion and reputation in the high growth premium beverages sector were key factors in joining the team,” said Stephan.  “Arlington’s existing platform and unparalleled success in the premium beverage sector provide a great opportunity to further expand the firm’s business internationally.” 

Prior to joining Arlington, Stephan was a Managing Director in the European Consumer team at Deutsche Bank where he primarily focused on the beer industry as well as other food & beverage categories. 

Stephan has 18 years of investment banking experience and has completed numerous M&A, equity and debt capital market transactions.  Stephan graduated from Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

He will divide his time between London and Zurich and can be reached at +44 7500860477 (UK) or +41 782218248 (CH).  His email address is stephan@arlingtoncapitaladvisors.com.

Arlington Capital Advisors is a leading investment bank focused on providing businesses in the consumer sector with financial and strategic advisory services, including sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory, sourcing growth capital and other capital-centric strategic alternatives.  Securities are offered through its affiliate, Arlington Capital Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. 

Birmingham, AL – Arlington Capital Advisors, a leading consumer-focused investment bank, announces it has hired Dai Truong as a Managing Director. Dai will be focused on growing Arlington’s presence in the cannabis industry, building upon its recent sale of SweetWater to Aphria.

“I am excited to join Arlington given its singular focus on the consumer sector and impressive track record advising premium brands. Arlington’s existing platform provides a strong base for growth and success in the Cannabis industry,” said Truong.

“Dai’s addition to the Arlington team will help us accelerate our focus on the cannabis industry,” said Vann Russell, Arlington’s founder and Managing Director. “Dai has built a strong network and his deep relationships and focus will help our team tremendously. The cannabis industry is seeing and will continue to see a significant amount of growth, mergers and acquisitions and we look forward to serving premium brands in the industry.”

Prior to joining Arlington, Dai served as VP Corporate Development for Left Coast Ventures, a diversified cannabis and hemp company specializing in cultivation, manufacturing, brand development and distribution. Prior to Left Coast Ventures, Dai held various corporate development and investment positions at MedMen, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Austin Ventures and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Dai graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

In addition to Dai, Arlington is adding two new analysts to its team this summer: Sam Choi and Michael Lee. Sam is a recent graduated from Washington & Lee University and Michael joins the firm from Auburn University.

Arlington Capital Advisors is a boutique investment bank that specializes in providing businesses in the consumer sector with financial and strategic advisory services. Arlington focuses on providing strategic advice to its clients, including sell-side and buy-side mergers and acquisitions, sourcing growth capital and other capital-centric strategic alternatives. Securities offered through its affiliate, Arlington Capital Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.