Metrokane, Inc.

Client & Engagement Overview

• Leader in the wine accessories and barware category sold under the Rabbit and Houdini brands.
• Metrokane’s products are sold through the department store, mass retail, club, grocery, convenience and online channels.
• The seller’s objective was to find the right partner, who would remain a good steward of the brands and foster the future growth of the product portfolio.

Challenges

• Metrokane had experienced robust sales and profit growth leading up to the sale process as a result of recent customer wins that the owners wanted to capture through a higher valuation as part of the sale.
• Given the strength of the Metrokane brands, a broad buyer’s list consisting of both international and domestic buyers were contacted.
• Recent strength coming from a newly acquired customer significantly changed the financial profile of the business, making a temporary delay in the process the optimal way to maximize value to the sellers.

Outcome

• Sector expertise and strong investor relationships resulted in a refined group of potential partners that had the requisite experience managing a globally recognized branded product portfolio.
• Trefethen professionals identified potential buyers, marketed the business, led due diligence efforts and were actively involved in all negotiations leading to the ultimate sale of the business.