Zachary DeAngelo

Why have so many CPG bolt-on acquisitions not worked out? Not from an exit perspective for the founders of the acquired company who usually do well, but rather from the perspective of integrating what was a nimble competitor into a larger bureaucracy. I saw this dynamic unfold when I built and sold my own business. I saw it when I was in corporate. And now I see it as I work with both emerging and larger brands within CPG. The rate of bolt-on acquisitions within CPG will increase again as brand owners look to "buy" revenue, given the tough pricing and volume outlook for 2024 and 2025. So, I dust off this older article about the Rabbit and the Fox which might just shed some light. #CPG #CPGindustry #M&A #FMCG #culture https://lnkd.in/getVC3Yn

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Raising capital right now is extremely difficult, but blaming investors or the current landscape won't push us forward. We as CPG companies need to get creative and accept that the strategy may not look the same as a few years ago. We are in the middle of raising, but it has been slow, so we had to get creative to free up cash. We are refinancing $550K of debt at a rate of 4.5%, which will save us over $7K per month. We are intentionally controlling our growth as we build our distribution arm so we are perfectly positioned for accelerated growth once we close the round. This environment is difficult, but it is also making us better. #cpg #beverageindustry #raisingcapital #funding #startup

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The moderation trend is continuing to accelerate! The NA segment of on-premise beer sales in the U.S. jumped 33.7% over the last 52 weeks with broad-based gains in all 50 states! 💪 📈 🍻 At Partake Brewing we are seeing on-premise operators move from offering 1 NA beer option to now several with macros and craft represented in addition to house mocktails. 🍺 🍷 🍹 This is an exciting time for the non-drinker and moderator alike! Gone are the days of water, juice, milk, and soda as the non-alcoholic options. 🤩 https://lnkd.in/gibbdbPB

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HUGE deal: PepsiCo is acquiring Siete Foods for $1.2 billion. Before you doubt that valuation, I’ll say it:  Siete earned their price tag. CPG is hard.  Fundraising in this economic environment is hard. Disrupting stale categories (beans, tortillas, salsa, sauces) is hard. Challenging multi-brand, billion-dollar companies is very hard. Winning market share in salty snacks (chips) is very very hard. Building a multi-category food brand is very very very hard. Getting acquired by your biggest competitor – near impossible. All of those accomplishments are a legacy to be proud of. But the hardest work is just beginning. Because now it’s the family of founders’ job – all 7 of them –  To protect the legacy that they’ve built. To preserve the values that made this brand what it is today. To fight for what they believe when literal billions are at stake. Siete Family Foods x PepsiCo, Keep fighting the good fight. #food #innovation #mergers #acquisitions #marketing #finance

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“Growing a CPG company, especially in the food and beverage space, ‘is astronomically harder today,’. ” Paul Voge you said it, man. So many truth bombs dropped in this article about the challenges and difficulties growing and scaling a CPG brand in today’s world. The cruel reality is that it takes a whole lot of money or a whole lot of time (and most times both) along with a fair amount of luck to have a chance at making it. If you dont have a ton of money then you better have a ton of time, some good fortune, and a product that can withstand many changes of the seasons (and "trends"). For most emerging brands today its all about survival and just finding a way.  There are lots of traps out there– lots of shiny objects– lots of vanity metrics hoping to be noticed and cared about–but at the end of the day sometimes its just about living to see another one. Here’s to all you day-to-dayers and week-to-weekers out there that are all just finding a way. Keep finding it.

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-- Podcast Teaser Alert -- "If you want to lead the consumer, you need to be the consumer." - Eric Ryan At one point, Eric Ryan and I were "frienemies". Friends personally, competitors professionally. He was the co-founder and CEO of Method Products PBC, while I led Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. ................ But in the real world, we were always on the same team. Our collective efforts, along with the team at 7th Generation, were revolutionizing the cleaning category. At Mrs. Meyer's, our mission was clear: 'Together, we dream of a world where the better way becomes THE way.' ................ Eric Ryan shares his insights on creating method products pbc, OLLY PBC, and Welly Bandages, along with his go-to-market approach. Stay tuned for the next drop of the CEO podcast. 🎙 You won't regret it. #cultureFIRSTleadership #ceoPodcast #ChiefEternalOptimist

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Interested in starting or scaling your CPG brand? I’m offering an exclusive opportunity to work 1:1 with me on building and scaling your CPG business — and 100% of proceeds will be donated to The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund, a program that has already donated over $350,000 in grants to minority small business owners. As the founder of SIA Scotch Whisky, I built and scaled a  one-employee company from a Kickstarter campaign to an exit in just 6 years. Now, I’m excited to share my playbook with you. The @Intro team has invited me to try out their new subscription feature, and I’m offering 5 exclusive mentorship slots. Here’s what we can cover together: ✔️ Brand building and product differentiation. ✔️ Retail distribution strategies for the spirits industry. ✔️ Early stage growth, PR, and preparing for acquisition. ✔️ Unlimited chat and 30-minute monthly video calls for hands-on support. $600/month — all proceeds go to The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund. Honored to be featured on Intro alongside other CPG Experts like Ariel Kaye (Founder of Parachute Home), Vanessa Dew (Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha), Nik Sharma (CPG Investor in brands like Feastables and Juneshine), Ben Zises (Founding Advisor for quip and Caraway), and Melanie Masarin (Founder and CEO of Ghia). Comment “interested” to secure your spot: intro.co/carin

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