By Stefanie Collins, editor BARS&clubs
Australian craft distillery and brewery, Catcher & Co in Cooma is offering interested investors a unique opportunity to own a piece of its small and passionate craft beer and spirits business.
With the Australian craft beer revolution well underway and the craft distilling industry following along the same expansion path, there are plenty of reasons to get involved.
According to Lucas Cattel, master distiller at Catcher & Co, there are multiple reasons why the three-year-old business has decided to open itself up to shareholders.
“We started on a very limited budget ($15,000), building the brand from the ground up,” he says. “We needed extra finance to help us grow at that time, which we sourced by selling 10 per cent of our company – mostly to family, friends and locals in our small town.”
Unfortunately, due to delays with liquor licencing and issues with the local council, the business took a hit, with Cattel paying rent on a premises for nearly two years with no business income.
“We started the process three-and-a-half years ago and during that time our bottom line has been destroyed,” he says.
Despite the hardships, Catcher & Co has persevered and with a new premises (sales are already up 200 per cent) and products for sale, things are looking up.
“We are now in a new premises with main road location – it means four million car movements a year past our door so it’s much more appropriate for what we are doing – and are now seeking additional investment.”
By selling 181 shares at $400 a-piece (minimum purchase of three), Cattel will be able to purchase another still and fermenter to expand the business.
“We’ll also be able to renovate and re-open the 1861 heritage-listed cottage that is onsite as an Australian craft beer and spirits bottle shop and boutique bar,” he says.
The full business proposition can be found through the Catcher & Co Facebook page, with some of the perks investors can expect including:
- 20 per cent off any purchase (excluding wholesale customers)
- Profit share, once the business reaches maturity
- Invitations to all public events, as well as an annual shareholders function to be held in March
- Quarterly or annual dividend payments, which will depend on outcomes of Quarterly and Annual General Meetings.
Catcher & Co are also looking into a crowd-funding platform for those who want to support the distillery and brewery, but are not interested in shares. Cattel is currently researching options, with updates to be posted soon.