Milling & Baking News - October 5, 2021 - 12

TUES | 10 05 202 1
With Epi Breads, private equity
firm forms Epic Baking Co.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. - AUA Private
Equity Partners, LLC has completed
the recapitalization of Atlanta-based Epi
Breads, a baker of custom bread for the
foodservice and retail sectors. Financial
terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Following the recapitalization, AUA
said it has formed Epic Baking Co., which
will seek to invest in artisan bakeries that
hoagies, rolls and buns, for leading
foodservice chains and grocery retailers.
The company has plants in Atlanta and
Muskegon, Mich., and earlier this year
announced plans to relocate its headquarters
to a 176,000-square-foot facility in
Gwinnett County, Ga.
" We are excited to partner with Epi
Breads to help accelerate the company's
future growth, " said Steven Flyer, partner
at AUA. " Epi Breads has a long history of
supplying leading customers in the foodservice
and retail channels. We look forward
to working with existing customers
and utilizing our network of relationships
to provide outstanding customer service,
R&D capabilities, implement best-in-class
productivity and offer the highest quality
products. "
AUA said it will work closely with
produce, distribute and/or market baked
foods supplying foodservice or retail
customers.
Founded in 1985 in Atlanta, Epi Breads
bakes and distributes a range of artisan-crafted
bread products, including
existing management led by Cheryl Barre,
chief executive officer, and Nic Mulliez,
co-founder, to continue providing strong
customer service and superior-quality
bread to its longstanding customers.
" AUA Private Equity shares our vision
for strengthening a customer-first mentality, "
Mr. Mulliez said. " AUA and the
Scoular buys grain handling and
processing facility in Kansas
GOODLAND, KAN. - Scoular
announced on Sept. 27 that it has purchased
a grain handling and processing
facility near Goodland.
The facility, located 5 miles west of
Goodland in northwestern Kansas, has a
storage capacity of more than 5.5 million
bus of grain and is capable of loading and
unloading trucks, as well as railcars. The
facility complements the nearby Scoular
grain handling facility in the town of
Goodland.
The company said it also enhances
Scoular's network throughout western
Kansas and its ability to bring valued,
grower-produced products to animal
12
MILLING & BAKING NEWS
feeding, ethanol producers, flour millers
and export customers throughout its supply
chain.
" Our new facility gives farmers in
western Kansas an efficient place to offload
grain, saving them time and money, "
Epic Baking Co. board of directors will
provide Epi with the expertise and tools it
needs to succeed.
" We look forward to partnering with
the AUA team on Epi's next phase of
growth and development. "
Kyce Chihi, managing director of AUA
Private Equity, added: " AUA will bring
a number of resources to Epi Breads,
including capital and operational expertise
to bolster Epi's capabilities, starting
with a new 135,000-square-foot manufacturing
facility in Atlanta slated to begin
production later this fall.
" Through AUA and Epi's new partnership,
the company will continue to
provide strong customer service through
superior product quality and consistency,
enhanced product innovation, and a
sound balance sheet. "
Epi Breads marks AUA's first acquisition
on behalf of its new baking platform, Epic
Baking Co. AUA is an operationally focused,
lower middle-market investment firm providing
strategic capital to companies in the
consumer products and consumer services
sectors with a particular focus on family-owned
businesses or companies benefiting
from the growth of the US Hispanic
population. AUA makes equity investments
of $20 million to $75 million in companies
that generate in excess of $5 million in
EBITDA. MBN
said Jeff Bhend, a Scoular manager who
oversees both Scoular facilities. " We
purchased this facility with our farmers
in mind and are proud we can serve them
even better, especially during the busy
harvest time. "
The facility had been operating as a
canola and sunflower crush plant. Under
Scoular's ownership, the facility is handling
corn, wheat and milo.
Scoular said it plans to upgrade the
facility by increasing dumping speeds
and improving truck traffic flow and to
hire additional employees.
The facility is located at the Caruso exit
off Interstate 70.
Scoular is the 11th largest grain company
in North America with more than
131 million bus of storage, according to
Sosland Publishing's 2021 Grain & Milling
Annual. MBN
bakingbusiness.com
EPI BREADS AND SCOULAR
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Milling & Baking News - October 5, 2021

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