NEW YORK, Aug. 8 /EMWNews/ -- Patriarch Partners, LLC today

announced that one of its affiliates has purchased a significant equity

interest in the company best known for its market leading brand, AriZona

Iced Tea, Beverage Marketing USA and its affiliates from John Ferolito,

co-founder, President and 50% owner of BMU. BMU has long been one of the

most admired companies in the US beverage industry.



    With its extensive portfolio of investments in more than 70 companies

that span across a broad spectrum of consumer and industrial sectors,

private equity firm Patriarch Partners brings an unparalleled array of

relationships and a wide breadth of diverse industry knowledge to this

investment. The support of Patriarch's global platform will aide BMU to

more rapidly implement its vision of a global business that will establish

a leading industry position in the global beverage markets.



    Since its founding almost thirty-five years ago, BMU's two

owner-founders have been regarded as leading visionaries in the highly

competitive non-carbonated beverage industry. BMU products, including its

legendary AriZona brand, have been the frontrunners of their segment and

have maintained and grown their dominant market share over the last fifteen

years. With its award winning packaging and design, its unparalleled taste

profile, its high quality product composition, AriZona is viewed as the

most coveted brand in the non-carbonated beverage sector. It is a brand

that transcends generations and appeals to a very broad spectrum of

consumers.



    "This partnership brings tremendous opportunity to our company, our

employees, distributors, retailers and stakeholders -- all of whom have

been integral to our long term success. Patriarch will enable us to move

into the next phase of our company's lifecycle with rapidity and success,"

said John Ferolito. "My partner Don Vultaggio and I started this company

from an idea and vision and from that initial dream have grown it to become

the successful enterprise it is today. Patriarch can help us accelerate our

global business and to transform today's company into the grand global

business I know we can be."



    The transaction closed today. Rabobank International acted as exclusive

financial advisor to John Ferolito. DLA Piper served as transaction counsel

to John Ferolito and Hughes Hubbard & Reed acted as counsel to Patriarch

Partners.



    Patriarch Partners, LLC is a private equity investment firm with

offices in New York, Charlotte, North Carolina and Dallas, Texas. Funds

affiliated with Patriarch manage assets in excess of $6 billion and include

majority and minority ownership positions in more than 70 companies.

Founded by Lynn Tilton in 2000, Patriarch provides innovative financial

solutions, strategic direction and operational expertise to its portfolio

companies.