Svoboda Capital Partners has acquired Quality Importers Trading Company (QI), a wholesaler of cigar-related products.
QI designs, imports, and wholesales company-branded and third-party branded cigar humidors, cigar accessories, custom cigar box packaging products, and other cigar-related accessories. The company’s customers include retailers, distributors and manufacturers. QI is headquartered in Weston, FL (www.qualityimporters.com).
Simultaneous with the closing of the QI transaction, QI acquired XIKAR which, according to Svoboda, is the world’s leading cigar accessory brand. XIKAR designs and distributes cigar cutters, lighters, humidification products and other cigar related accessories under the XIKAR brand to thousands of retail locations around the world. The company is headquartered in Kansas City, MO (www.xikar.com).
“This transaction exemplifies Svoboda’s strategy of investing in leading, consumer products and value-added distribution companies with strong management teams,” said Jeff Piper and Rick Harpster, Managing Directors at Svoboda, in a combined statement. “Svoboda is excited to work with the teams from QI and XIKAR to execute on the company’s organic and acquisitive growth objectives. We intend to provide the capital and support to help expand their product offering and enhance their domestic and international go-to-market strategy while preserving their great cultures and further strengthening their market leadership.”
From 2004 to 2007, Svoboda was the owner of Cigars International, a Bath, PA-based catalog and Internet marketer of hand-rolled cigars and cigar accessories to retail and wholesale customers. Svoboda sold the company to Stockholm-based Swedish Match in August 2007.
“QI’s recapitalization by Svoboda and simultaneous acquisition of XIKAR is a transformational event in the cigar accessory category, and creates an industry-leading partnership with enormous growth potential in existing and new markets,” said Michael Giordano, Founder and CEO of QI. “We chose to partner with Svoboda based on their experience in the space and enthusiasm for our business, and we are excited to work together to achieve our growth objectives and take our company to the next level.”
Svoboda invests from $10 million to $20 million in business services, value-added distribution, and consumer products companies that have revenues from $10 million to $100 million and EBITDAs from $3 million to $15 million. The Chicago-based firm was founded in 1998 and has over $350 million of capital under management (www.svoco.com).
© 2018 Private Equity Professional | February 8, 2018
