SBEA stock surged 23% in morning trading

SBEA stock surged 23% in morning trading as Black Rifle Coffee Company to go public via combination with SilverBox Engaged Merger Corp I.

Black Rifle Coffee Company, a rapidly growing and mission-driven premium coffee company founded to support Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and serve a broad customer base by connecting consumers with great coffee and a unique brand experience, today announced its plan to go public via a business combination with SilverBox Engaged Merger Corp I (NASDAQ: SBEA) (“SBEA” or “SilverBox-Engaged”), which is sponsored by SilverBox Capital LLC (“SilverBox Capital”) and Engaged Capital LLC (“Engaged Capital”), who have collaborated to create an alternative asset management platform. Once the proposed transaction is closed, the combined company will be named BRC Inc.

The proposed business combination will place up to $225 million in cash on BRCC’s balance sheet to accelerate the implementation of its digital-first, omnichannel strategy and support continued rapid growth. At $10 per share, the transaction values Black Rifle Coffee at a pro forma enterprise value of approximately $1.7 billion – representing approximately four times projected 2023 revenues – an extremely compelling valuation and discount for a company that benchmarks favorably to its growth peers.

Evan Hafer, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Black Rifle Coffee Company, said, “From the time I was a one-man operation in my garage with nothing more than a 1-pound roaster, I wanted to use coffee as a means of bringing people together around the common idea of honoring those who serve this great nation. We founded Black Rifle Coffee to serve the highest quality coffee while supporting Veterans and their families. As a company founded and led by Veterans, serving these communities drives everything we do. I’m so proud to join with the SBEA team and have the confidence of investors such as Engaged Capital. They’re completely in support of our mission and they’ve aligned their financial interests with our Company’s performance. This combination will provide the capital BRCC needs to grow, serve great coffee, and move us closer to our goal of hiring 10,000 Veterans as we open more stores nationwide.”

Joe Reece, Executive Chairman of SBEA, added, “When SBEA went public earlier this year, we made a commitment to our investors and partners to identify a fundamentally sound business with high-integrity leadership and a strong growth trajectory. We have made good on that commitment by entering into this merger agreement with BRCC. Evan and the rest of the BRCC team have built a powerful consumer brand that is achieving impressive revenue growth and gross margins while catalyzing positive impact across the long-underserved Veteran and first responder communities. We have aligned our sponsor interests to BRCC’s performance because we are such strong believers in the Company’s future as it gains the capital necessary to accelerate its growth, expand its offerings, consistently delight customers and give back to the communities in which it operates. The entire SilverBox-Engaged team is proud to partner with BRCC.”