Marriott & Co. Serves as Exclusive Financial Advisor to A & E Management Group, LLC in its Acquisition of Low Country Pizza Investments, LLC
Marriott & Co., a premier middle market investment banking firm based in Richmond, VA, is pleased to announce that it served as exclusive financial advisor to A & E Management Group , LLC (“ A & E ” or the “Company” ) in its acquisition of Low Country Pizza Investments, LLC (“LCP I ”) . The transaction closed on July 30 , 2012 . GE Capital Corporation provided senior debt to finance the acquisition . Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Based in Columbia, South Carolina , A & E is a leading owner and operator of quick – serve restaurants (“QSR”) under the Little Caesars brand name, the world’s largest carry – out pizza chain. Founded in 2006, A & E has established itself as one of the top operators in the Little Caesars system and has been the recipient of numerous franchisee awards.
The acquisition of LCP I , which i s based in Charleston, South Carolina, will expand A & E’s footprint in key markets and attractively positions the Company to continue executing its growth strategies at an aggressive pace. The combined company employs over 400 employees and will operate 22 Little Caesars locations by year – end. Tim Putnam, the founder and majority owner of A & E, will continue to lead the Company in his role as President and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Putnam said, “ We believe the long – term prospects for growth within the Little Caesars system are very strong, and we are extremely excited about the acquisition of LCP I , which has a terrific presence in the attractive Charleston market. The acquisition will provide A & E with significantly more scale and creates an excellent platform for future growth throughout the Southeast. We have an outstanding group of employees in the Company, and we are all looking forward to entering this next phase of A & E’s growth.”
“The acquisition of LCPI by A & E brings together two very high performing QSR portfolios,” said Justin Marriott, Managing Director of Marriott & Co., “ and will enable A & E to further build upon its already rapidly growing business . We thoroughly enjoyed working with Tim and his team on this transaction and hope to work together again in the future.”
About A & E Management Group , LLC :
Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, A & E Management Group , LLC is a leading owner and operator of quick – serve restaurants under the Little Caesars brand name, the world’s largest carry – out pizza chain. Since its founding in 2006 by Tim Putnam, A & E has expanded from one restaurant t o 22 restaurants in multiple markets across the Southeast employing over 400 employees. The company has been recognized numerous times by Little Caesars for operational excellence and is led by an experienced management team.
