Approaching 20 years in food & beverage private equity, Arbor Investments (“Arbor”) today announced the relaunching of its brand with an updated visual identity and website. The firm’s new Chief Marketing Officer, Alison Miller, led the rebranding effort in partnership with Chicago-based agency Schafer Condon Carter (SCC).
“This brand refresh marks an important milestone in our firm’s history,” said Arbor CEO, Gregory Purcell. “Joe Campolo and I started in 1999 as two entrepreneurs canvasing the country trying to buy small food companies. Fast forward two decades and we’ve invested $1.6 billion, opened a second office in New York, and now are recognized as a leader in the food & beverage private equity industry.”
Arbor’s new look and website are designed to better reflect the Arbor difference. “We’ve always taken an unconventional approach – behaving more like operators working alongside management rather than as a traditional private equity firm that just writes a check and attends board meetings. We pride ourselves on getting to the root of a business and executing strategies that unlock transformational growth,” said Purcell.
Recently awarded their third Buyouts Magazine Deal of the Year for the sale of Columbus Manufacturing, Arbor has demonstrated its ability to identify opportunities and grow companies – with expertise ranging from manufacturing to packaging to distribution to branding. “Arbor is the only private equity firm to win the award more than once, let alone three times,” said Todd Kaplan, Executive Vice Chairman of Global Banking for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Kaplan, who advised Arbor on the sale of Columbus, is bullish on the Arbor approach. “What’s the saying – once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence and three times is a trend? Arbor has proven itself to be the preeminent front-runner in food & beverage private equity.”
With the addition of Miller as CMO, Arbor further expands an impressive stable of in-house operations and functional experts who are deployed to help maximize portfolio companies’ growth. Miller joins Arbor Investments with 18 years of marketing and brand management experience. Most recently VP of Marketing for the Chicago Cubs, Miller oversaw all branding, marketing, fan research, CRM, content, and game entertainment for the Cubs and Wrigley Field. Miller is credited with developing the award-winning #FlyTheW campaign and was recognized in Advertising Age in its “Women to Watch” and Adweek as a “Rising Brand Star.” Prior to her time with the Cubs, Miller spent 12 years in brand management at General Mills on brands including Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Cheerios and Chex.
Commenting on the hiring of Miller, President Joe Campolo said, “for several years, Arbor has searched for the right person to serve as CMO. Alison is the perfect fit and adds a vital new dimension to the Arbor functional discipline team.”