Liberty Wines has been acquired by Activequity, the specialist investment firm which took a majority shareholding in one of its biggest rivals, Alliance Wine, in the summer.
Fergal Tynan MW has stepped down as boss of Alliance to take over leadership of Liberty, replacing Tom Platt as managing director.
A Liberty spokesperson said: “Liberty Wines and Alliance are not merging. Both companies are independent and will continue to operate that way, managed by their own leadership teams.”
Ned Llewellyn has been promoted to MD of Alliance Wine, having previously been sales director.
Activequity has acquired all shares in Liberty, which is regularly named as one of the top suppliers to the independent trade in The Wine Merchant‘s annual survey of indies. Sogrape, the Portuguese wine group which previously owned the business, will continue its relationship with Liberty, which distributes its wines in the UK.
Tynan said the company’s immediate priority was to maintain service levels during the busy Christmas trading period. “Our priorities remain the same: our producers, our customers and our people, the quality of our portfolio, our commitment to wine education and the exceptional service people expect from Liberty Wines,” he said. “We welcome the strength of backing that Activequity brings.”
Activequity, based in Oxford and Switzerland, specialises in investment and support for businesses operating in the premium wine trade. Managing partner Alexander Bartholomew described Liberty as having “an exceptionally talented team, an outstanding portfolio, and long-standing relationships with producers and customers”. He said the firm was delighted to back the business for the long term.
Founded in 1997 by David Gleave and Luciann Flynn, Liberty Wines supplies independent merchants and the on-trade across the UK and Ireland. Its portfolio comprises more than 2,000 wines from around 400 producers, with particular strength in Italy. Sogrape chairman Fernando da Cunha Guedes said the company was proud of its role in Liberty’s development and looked forward to continuing the partnership under the new ownership.
