RTD brand Ampersand Projects has been acquired by Australian Beer Co (ABCo), part of Casella Family Brands, as ABCo increases its focus on the RTD and spirits category.
Chris Blockley, Head of Sales at ABCo, commented on the appeal of Ampersand Projects to ABCo.
“Ampersand Projects have been innovators in the RTD space for some time now and as we continue to look at our ABCo portfolio, consumer driven innovation is at the forefront of our activities. We look forward to bringing together the heritage and proven expertise of Casella Family Brands/ABCo with the agility of Ampersand Projects – while remaining a proudly independent Australian company,” said Blockley.
Ampersand Projects was founded in 2018 by Marcus Kellett, Shaun Rankins and Alex Bottomley and has released popular products such as Vodka Soda &, which has sold 15 million cans since its inception. The founders will remain in their roles to continue the company’s growth with ABCo.
The Ampersand Projects team is excited to join forces with ABCo, a spokesperson told The Shout.
“We are very excited to be working with a family-owned, independent company of this caliber. We are so impressed with the Casella story and heritage that we could not be happier and more excited to begin a strong partnership together. The Casella family brands have really great synergies and we felt it was a perfect fit,” said the spokesperson.
The acquisition will provide Ampersand Projects with additional resources that will allow the brand to continue to grow.
“It’s business as usual for the Ampersand brand, with a focus on driving the new products we have recently launched, including our Purple Gin, Whisky RTD range and High ABV Vodka Soda products. All founders and staff will continue to work within the company.
“We are about to have our biggest summer ever, which we are looking forward to. We’ll also be looking at implementing our marketing campaigns and working on new and exciting ways to showcase our products and appeal to an even wider demographic and range of consumers,” said the spokesperson.
Blockley explained that this acquisition is part of ABCo’s broader plan to address changing consumer preferences.
“ABCo has seen rapid growth in recent months with the launch of the Ranga range (RTD) and the Son of a Nun zero and low carb beer line. Consumer tastes are changing more than ever and at ABCo we are responding to these tastes with a consumer-first approach, meaning there are products for everyone, especially as we head into the summer months. For now, I can say that there are many more exciting things to come for ABCo with the inclusion of the Ampersand projects and their multi-beverage offering,” he said.
