Ventura Group, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Uncle Charley’s Sausage Company (“Uncle Charley’s”) in the company’s sale to a local group including investor-operators Jim Rudolph and Len Caric and F.N.B. Capital Partners. Uncle Charley’s, founded in 1988 by Charles S. Armitage, Sr., is located in Leechburg, Pennsylvania and produces and distributes high-quality fresh sausage products and meat products throughout Pennsylvania and five surrounding states. The company is now being led by Len Caric as President and CEO, with Jim Rudolph serving as Chairman of the Board. Jim is a well-known entrepreneur, investor, and business operator in this region and has had multiple successes with Wendy’s of Greater Pittsburgh, Rita’s Italian Ice Franchise Company, and several other businesses. F.N.B. Capital Partners, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a committed fund with an SBIC designation and contributed both equity and mezzanine debt to finance the transaction.
This combination of the strong regional brand built by Mr. Armitage and a skilled and enthusiastic new leadership team with solid financial support bodes well for Uncle Charley’s customers, partners and employees as growth opportunities are pursued. This is a win-win situation and we at Ventura Group are pleased to have orchestrated the transaction.
During the sale process, Ventura Group garnered a great deal of interest in Uncle Charley’s from both strategic and financial buyers throughout the United States and then managed the transaction through the closing on January 27, 2014. In the next day’s issue of the Pittsburgh Business Times, Armitage said of Ventura Group, “I understood (Bob) was a very good guy and the straight shooter everyone said he was. We argued about his price, but he’s good. He earned it.”