Arbor Investments, a specialist investor in the food and beverage sectors, has hired Christopher Tuffin as a partner in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Tuffin will be responsible for deal origination, transaction execution and portfolio management.
Mr. Tuffin joins Arbor from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML), where he was a director in the firm’s New York-based consumer and retail investment banking group and active in the food and beverage sector.
At BAML he advised a variety of mid- and large-cap consumer clients on a range of M&A, debt and equity financing transactions, including advising Arbor on its $850 million sale of Columbus Craft Meats, a branded manufacturer of artisanal salumi and other deli meat products, to Hormel in October 2017.
“I have known Arbor for many years and had the benefit of seeing the firm in action while working together on the Columbus sale process,” said Mr. Tuffin. “I am truly excited to be a part of this dynamic team and look forward to increasing Arbor’s presence and brand in New York.”
Prior to his time at BAML, Mr. Tuffin was a director in KPMG’s Transaction Service Group and worked in its London and New York offices advising both corporate and private equity clients on financial and commercial diligence matters in connection with transactions principally in the consumer and retail space.
“Arbor has had an excellent relationship with Chris, having worked closely with him for several years at BAML,” said Gregory Purcell, Arbor co-founder and CEO. “We’ve seen firsthand his innate ability to understand consumer businesses and match buyers and sellers together to produce highly successful transactions. We believe this experience will transfer well to private equity and make Chris a valuable addition to our team.”
Mr. Tuffin will join Arbor Partner Chris Harned in the New York office, which Arbor opened with the hiring of Mr. Harned in September 2016. “With the addition of Chris Tuffin, we are strengthening our New York presence,” said Arbor co-founder and President Joseph Campolo. “We now have two seasoned industry professionals with deep consumer expertise actively plugged into the market to tell our story and produce additional opportunities for Arbor.”
Arbor invests in the food, beverage and related industries. Typical targets will have annual revenues of up to $300 million and EBITDA from $5 million to $50 million. Since founding in 1999 the firm has acquired or invested in over 68 food and beverage companies in North America. In July 2016, Arbor closed its fourth equity fund, Arbor Investments IV LP, with $765 million of capital and its first subordinated debt fund, Arbor Debt Opportunities Fund I LP, with $125 million of capital. Arbor is headquartered in Chicago with an additional office in New York (www.arborpic.com).
© 2019 Private Equity Professional | May 31, 2019