San Francisco, California, February 1, 2022 – Encore Consumer Capital, a private equity firm that invests exclusively in leading consumer products companies, has completed the sale of 4505 Meats Inc. (“4505”) to Benestar Brands, a portfolio company of Highlander Partners. 4505 is a leading brand of high quality pork rinds and meat sticks.
Scott Sellers, Managing Director of Encore Consumer Capital, said, “It has been a great pleasure for us at Encore to have partnered with 4505 Founder Ryan Farr. It was Ryan’s vision with his chef’s background that brought 4505 Chicharrones and Cracklins to a new consumer base looking for a great tasting zero-carb snack with a clean ingredient deck.” Encore Director Kisen Nathu added “the 4505 brand more than tripled sales in less than three years since our investment which is a testament to the strength of the entire management team. It was our second successful exit working with CEO Erik Havlick and CMO Greg O’Neal who were part of previous Encore portfolio company Thanasi Foods which was sold to ConAgra in 2017.”
“Encore brought resources and strategic guidance that helped accelerate our growth in the natural foods, supermarket, club-store and convenience store channels” said Ryan Farr, 4505 Founder. “Encore once again proved themselves invaluable as thought-partners and collaborators” added CEO Erik Havlick. “Teaming up with Benestar Brands and Highlander Partners represents an exciting new chapter for 4505 Meats, and is perfectly timed at an inflection point for our brand. We believe that joining Benestar Brands will enable 4505 to accelerate even faster as a leader in premium snacks, and that our combined portfolio and collective vision for innovation will translate into highly compelling opportunities for our customers and consumers.”
About Encore Consumer Capital
Encore Consumer Capital is a private equity investment firm focused on the consumer products industry. The firm has raised over $600 million in equity capital and invested in over 35 companies in the sector. Encore’s current and prior investments include food and beverage manufacturers and marketers, pet products companies, personal care/beauty companies, and food distribution companies. The firm targets companies with between $10 million and $100 million in annual revenues where Encore’s strong expertise in strategy development, brand marketing, manufacturing and supply chain optimization, and distribution expansion can drive performance.
About 4505 Meats
4505 Meats was founded in San Francisco in 2009 by chef and butcher, Ryan Farr. Today, 4505 Meats is a leading producer of artisanal meat snacks including pork rinds and sausage meat sticks, under the 4505 Meats brand, produced with a continued commitment to sustainability and whole animal utilization. 4505 Meats products can be found at retailers across the country and Amazon.
www.4505meats.com
About Benestar Brands
Benestar is a leader in the salty snacks space. The company manufactures pork rinds under the Mac’s, PORQ and Turkey Creek brands. Benestar also manufactures tortilla chips under the Chicas and Cazo de Oro brands and is the leader in pretzel bread under the Pretzilla brand. Founded in 1947, the company operates seven production facilities (located in Chicago, IL; Arlington, TX; Portsmouth, OH; City of Industry, CA; Milwaukee WI; and Saltillo, Mexico).
www.benestarbrands.com