KPMG Administrators has appointed Colliers International to sell the business and assets of McWilliam’s Wines Group by an expressions of interest campaign.
The assets and business of McWilliam’s are being sold as a going concern or separately, including recapitalisation, or a sale of the business/assets via a Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA).
Colliers International’s Tim Altschwager said the sale represented a unique opportunity to acquire an iconic, 142-year-old, privately-owned Australian family business as well as a large amount of stock and significant property.
“We anticipate wide-ranging interest from major wine industry participants, private equity investors, high net worth individuals and buyers looking for restructure opportunities,” he said.
“In particular, existing wine industry groups will see an outstanding opportunity to add an iconic Australian name to their portfolios.
“McWilliam’s does not currently have an extensive international distribution network, which makes this a substantial opportunity for a buyer with overseas networks to really ramp the business up,” said Altschwager.
Colliers said McWilliam’s is a Top 10 Australian wine producer by revenue, generating circa. 1.3m 9LE volume and $97 million gross sales per annum, with operational capacity to crush up to 43,000 tonnes annually.
“Sales volumes of Australian wine is at an all-time high, driven by exports,” said Altschwager.
“The McWilliam’s business is well positioned to capture this growth potential.”
KPMG Administrators’ Tim Mableson said the 2020 vintage was well underway for McWilliam’s, with no direct impact to its Riverina vineyards as a consequence of the recent Australian bushfires.
“However, as is the case for the majority of the wineries in the Hunter Valley, there will be no 2020 vintage due to smoke taint,” he said.
“There is sufficient back vintage bulk wine and finished goods for the Mt Pleasant brands so that commitments to markets are not impacted.”
Expressions of interest close Tuesday March 31 at 4pm.