Liverpool Partners acquires specialty coffee company, Padre Coffee, into its portfolio
Jenny Willits, CEO Seven Miles Coffee Roasters. Image: Padre Coffee
Padre Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster, wholesaler and retailer, with bases in Melbourne and Noosa, has announced it will be acquired by Private equity firm, Liverpool Partners.
It follows Liverpool’s majority acquisition in September last year of long-standing, Australian owned and run, Seven Miles Coffee Roasters – a national, specialty roaster with operations in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Orange and Wollongong.
Both Padre Coffee and Seven Miles Coffee Roasters will continue to operate as separate brands within Liverpool’s portfolio, but under a newly formed umbrella organisation called Seven Miles Coffee Company (7MCC). Led by current Seven Miles Coffee Roasters CEO Jenny Willits, 7MCC will provide leadership oversight and develop a broader growth strategy for both Padre Coffee and Seven Miles Coffee Roasters, plus their line up of local and national coffee blends.
Jenny Willits explained: “Seven Miles Coffee Roasters and Padre Coffee have both long shared a passion for the pursuit of exceptional coffee, backed by a focus on sustainability. Our customer-centric and people-focused approach, teamed with our combined capabilities will undoubtedly create an exceptional, curated line up of specialty and premium coffees, that goes well beyond the Seven Miles heartland of NSW, ACT and QLD.
“Importantly, coming together under the umbrella of 7MCC will also showcase how much our brands complement each other within the marketplace to foster growth. Ultimately, it provides an Australian owned, Australian run coffee group that is focused on enabling customers to grow and thrive through exceptional coffee, service and training.”
To ensure a smooth transition into 7MCC, founder and director of Padre Coffee, Marinus Jansen, will remain at the helm of the business while director of coffee, Fay Kamanis, will also remain on an ongoing basis. Ken Cowan will leave his role as Director at Padre Coffee following completion of the acquisition, but will remain a consultant to the brand as it moves into its next phase of growth.
Marinus Jansen said: “At the heart of our company is our people, and we’ve always been committed to building a workplace culture that supports personal development, collaboration and teamwork. The investment by Liverpool, teamed with the opportunity to work side by side with a leading business like Seven Miles Coffee Roasters under the stewardship of 7MCC, will enable us to continue this focus while further expanding our business – in the right way.
“Both the Padre and Seven Miles brands believe in quality produce, sustainability, and fostering long-term committed relationships throughout the supply chain, making us the perfect bedfellows. We anticipate great things will come from this new relationship for both our people, and the broader industry.”
Liverpool Partners managing partner, Jonathan Lim said the Padre Coffee acquisition was an exciting addition to its burgeoning coffee portfolio, having also invested in the Australian Beverage Corporation, one of Australia’s leading coffee equipment and service providers last year.
“Padre Coffee is a thriving business, and its focus on ethical, sustainable growth while raising the bar across all that it does, fits perfectly with the approach taken by the other coffee businesses within our portfolio,” he said. “We are excited about the prospect of further growth for both Padre Coffee and Seven Miles Coffee Roasters under the new 7MCC led by Jenny Willits. It will no doubt result in the most outstanding suite of coffee products in Australia.”
Further details about the structure of 7MCC will be announced in coming months.
