Latest news with #Sclafani
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bleakley Financial Group Appoints Ray Sclafani to Board of Directors
ClientWise founder and CEO brings close to four decades of industry expertise and coaching acumen to help shape Bleakley's next chapter of advisor growth PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 25, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bleakley Financial Group ("Bleakley"), a dynamic wealth advisory and financial planning firm, today announced the appointment of Ray Sclafani to its Board of Directors. A widely respected executive, speaker and coach, Sclafani is the founder and chief executive officer of ClientWise, a leading business and executive coaching firm serving elite financial advisors nationwide. With nearly four decades of experience, including 20 years as a managing director at AllianceBernstein, Sclafani brings a distinctive blend of strategic insight, leadership development expertise and industry perspective to Bleakley's board. His appointment reflects the firm's commitment to supporting advisor growth, deepening its national footprint and investing in the next generation of leadership within the independent wealth space. "Ray is a trailblazer whose contributions to the advisory profession are second to none," said Andy Schwartz, chief executive officer at Bleakley. "He's spent his entire career helping advisors reach their full potential, and his voice will be instrumental as we scale our platform and deliver on our promise to advisors and clients alike." Based in Irving, Texas, Sclafani is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University. As part of Bleakley's board, he will help guide strategic initiatives focused on advisor development, succession planning and long-term enterprise value creation. "I've long admired Bleakley's culture, values and commitment to empowering advisors to grow with intention," said Sclafani. "I'm honored to join the board and look forward to helping the firm continue its mission of delivering extraordinary outcomes for clients and advisors alike." Bleakley's board continues to reflect the diverse leadership and expertise needed to support the firm's evolution. The appointment comes as Bleakley celebrates 40 years in business, marks a decade of independence and prepares for a strategic rebrand to reflect its national scale and forward-looking vision. This momentum is further accelerated by its partnership with Rise Growth Partners, whose investment and operational support are helping to shape the firm's next chapter. To learn more about Bleakley, visit About Bleakley Financial Group Bleakley Financial Group is a premier financial planning and wealth management firm, dedicated to delivering tailored financial strategies to individuals, families, and businesses. Bleakley's seasoned advisors prioritize clients' goals and offer bespoke planning and investment strategies designed to realize clients' financial aspirations. Founded in 1985, Bleakley's advisors manage nearly $10 billion in advisory assets (as of 6/30/2024). Bleakley is unwavering in its commitment to the financial well-being and legacy of clients, and consistently delivers outcomes that have enabled continuous success and growth. About Rise Growth Partners Rise Growth Partners is a synergistic financial partner that provides growth-oriented RIAs with comprehensive operational, financial, and growth expertise and systems. By investing a non-controlling minority stake in partner firms, Rise offers a solution for growth-oriented RIAs whose funding options are otherwise limited to strategic acquirers and financial sponsors. Its elite team, with over 200 years of combined experience, has a proven track record of building and exiting platform companies, generating billions of dollars in value. Rise is dedicated to building the next generation of "lighthouse brands" in the industry. Follow Rise Growth Partners on LinkedIn for more information and updates. Advisors associated with Bleakley Financial Group, LLC may be either (1) registered representatives with, securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC, and investment advisor representatives of Bleakley Financial Group, LLC; or (2) solely investment advisor representatives of Bleakley Financial Group, LLC, and not affiliated with LPL Financial. Investment advice offered through Bleakley Financial Group, LLC, a registered investment adviser and separate entity from LPL Financial. View source version on Contacts RISE MEDIA CONTACTS: Rise@ Hannah DixonHannah@ 317-590-0915 Jason LahitaJason@ 973-460-7837
Business Wire
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Bleakley Financial Group Appoints Ray Sclafani to Board of Directors
PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bleakley Financial Group ('Bleakley'), a dynamic wealth advisory and financial planning firm, today announced the appointment of Ray Sclafani to its Board of Directors. A widely respected executive, speaker and coach, Sclafani is the founder and chief executive officer of ClientWise, a leading business and executive coaching firm serving elite financial advisors nationwide. With nearly four decades of experience, including 20 years as a managing director at AllianceBernstein, Sclafani brings a distinctive blend of strategic insight, leadership development expertise and industry perspective to Bleakley's board. His appointment reflects the firm's commitment to supporting advisor growth, deepening its national footprint and investing in the next generation of leadership within the independent wealth space. 'Ray is a trailblazer whose contributions to the advisory profession are second to none,' said Andy Schwartz, chief executive officer at Bleakley. 'He's spent his entire career helping advisors reach their full potential, and his voice will be instrumental as we scale our platform and deliver on our promise to advisors and clients alike.' Based in Irving, Texas, Sclafani is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University. As part of Bleakley's board, he will help guide strategic initiatives focused on advisor development, succession planning and long-term enterprise value creation. 'I've long admired Bleakley's culture, values and commitment to empowering advisors to grow with intention,' said Sclafani. 'I'm honored to join the board and look forward to helping the firm continue its mission of delivering extraordinary outcomes for clients and advisors alike.' Bleakley's board continues to reflect the diverse leadership and expertise needed to support the firm's evolution. The appointment comes as Bleakley celebrates 40 years in business, marks a decade of independence and prepares for a strategic rebrand to reflect its national scale and forward-looking vision. This momentum is further accelerated by its partnership with Rise Growth Partners, whose investment and operational support are helping to shape the firm's next chapter. To learn more about Bleakley, visit Bleakley Financial Group is a premier financial planning and wealth management firm, dedicated to delivering tailored financial strategies to individuals, families, and businesses. Bleakley's seasoned advisors prioritize clients' goals and offer bespoke planning and investment strategies designed to realize clients' financial aspirations. Founded in 1985, Bleakley's advisors manage nearly $10 billion in advisory assets (as of 6/30/2024). Bleakley is unwavering in its commitment to the financial well-being and legacy of clients, and consistently delivers outcomes that have enabled continuous success and growth. About Rise Growth Partners Rise Growth Partners is a synergistic financial partner that provides growth-oriented RIAs with comprehensive operational, financial, and growth expertise and systems. By investing a non-controlling minority stake in partner firms, Rise offers a solution for growth-oriented RIAs whose funding options are otherwise limited to strategic acquirers and financial sponsors. Its elite team, with over 200 years of combined experience, has a proven track record of building and exiting platform companies, generating billions of dollars in value. Rise is dedicated to building the next generation of 'lighthouse brands' in the industry. Follow Rise Growth Partners on LinkedIn for more information and updates. Advisors associated with Bleakley Financial Group, LLC may be either (1) registered representatives with, securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA / SIPC, and investment advisor representatives of Bleakley Financial Group, LLC; or (2) solely investment advisor representatives of Bleakley Financial Group, LLC, and not affiliated with LPL Financial. Investment advice offered through Bleakley Financial Group, LLC, a registered investment adviser and separate entity from LPL Financial.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
B&G Foods Sells its Don Pepino and Sclafani Brands to Violet Foods, a Portfolio Company of Amphora Equity Partners
PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE: BGS) announced today that it has sold its Don Pepino and Sclafani brands of pizza and spaghetti sauces, crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and whole peeled tomatoes to Violet Foods LLC, a newly formed portfolio company of Amphora Equity Partners LLC. The sale included the manufacturing facility in Williamstown, New Jersey where the products are produced. "The divestiture of the Don Pepino and Sclafani brands is consistent with our efforts to reshape our portfolio, focus on our core brands and reduce long-term debt," said Casey Keller, President and Chief Executive Officer of B&G Foods. "We believe that Amphora is the right owner to support the future growth of the Don Pepino and Sclafani brands." B&G Foods intends to use the net proceeds from the sale for the repayment of long-term debt. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. BofA Securities, Inc. acted as financial advisor to B&G Foods. About B&G Foods, Inc. Based in Parsippany, New Jersey, B&G Foods and its subsidiaries manufacture, sell and distribute high-quality, branded shelf-stable and frozen foods across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. With B&G Foods' diverse portfolio of more than 50 brands you know and love, including B&G, B&M, Bear Creek, Cream of Wheat, Crisco, Dash, Green Giant, Las Palmas, Le Sueur, Mama Mary's, Maple Grove Farms, New York Style, Ortega, Polaner, Spice Islands and Victoria, there's a little something for everyone. For more information about B&G Foods and its brands, please visit About Amphora Equity Partners Amphora is a private investor that makes control investments in the North American packaged food and beverage sector. The firm focuses on well-established branded products and contract manufacturing businesses in which it can support management teams to drive real value creation through operational excellence and an organic and inorganic growth strategy. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements related to B&G Foods' use of the net proceeds of the sale to reduce long-term debt. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of B&G Foods to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects," "projects," "intends," "anticipates," "assumes," "could," "should," "estimates," "potential," "seek," "predict," "may," "will" or "plans" and similar references to future periods to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors that may affect actual results include, without limitation: B&G Foods' substantial leverage, which may impact B&G Foods' ability, among other things, to fund capital expenditures, working capital needs, dividend payments and acquisitions, and to obtain refinancing or additional financing; B&G Foods' ability to comply with the ratios or tests under its long-term debt agreements, including the maximum leverage ratio and minimum interest coverage ratio under its credit agreement, which may be affected not only by B&G Foods' operating performance but also by events beyond B&G Foods' control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions; the effects of international trade disputes, tariffs, quotas, and other import or export restrictions on B&G Foods' procurement, sales and operations (including recent U.S. tariffs imposed or threatened to be imposed on China, Canada and Mexico and other countries and retaliatory actions taken or threatened to be taken by such countries); the effects of rising costs for and/or decreases in supply of B&G Foods' commodities, ingredients, packaging, other raw materials, distribution and labor; crude oil prices and their impact on distribution, packaging and energy costs; B&G Foods' ability to successfully implement sales price increases and cost saving measures to offset any cost increases; intense competition, changes in consumer preferences, demand for B&G Foods' products and local economic and market conditions; B&G Foods' continued ability to promote brand equity successfully, to anticipate and respond to new consumer trends, to develop new products and markets, to broaden brand portfolios in order to compete effectively with lower priced products and in markets that are consolidating at the retail and manufacturing levels and to improve productivity; the ability of B&G Foods and its supply chain partners to continue to operate manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and other work locations without material disruption, and to procure ingredients, packaging and other raw materials when needed despite disruptions in the supply chain or labor shortages; the impact pandemics or disease outbreaks, may have on B&G Foods' business, including among other things, B&G Foods' supply chain, manufacturing operations or workforce and customer and consumer demand for B&G Foods' products; B&G Foods' ability to recruit and retain senior management and a highly skilled and diverse workforce at B&G Foods' corporate offices, manufacturing facilities and other work locations despite a very tight labor market and changing employee expectations as to fair compensation, an inclusive and diverse workplace, flexible working and other matters; the risks associated with the possible expansion of B&G Foods' business through acquisitions or reduction in size through divestitures; B&G Foods' possible inability to successfully complete divestitures of non-core businesses to sharpen its focus, improve margins, reduce costs and reduce its long-term debt, and, if completed, B&G Foods' possible inability to achieve the expected margin improvements, cost savings and debt reduction; B&G Foods' possible inability to identify new acquisitions or to integrate recent or future acquisitions or B&G Foods' failure to realize anticipated revenue enhancements, cost savings or other synergies from recent or future acquisitions; B&G Foods' ability to successfully complete the integration of recent or future acquisitions into B&G Foods' enterprise resource planning (ERP) system; tax reform and legislation, including the effects of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the U.S. CARES Act, and any future tax reform or legislation; B&G Foods' ability to access the credit markets and B&G Foods' borrowing costs and credit ratings, which may be influenced by credit markets generally and the credit ratings of B&G Foods' competitors; unanticipated expenses, including, without limitation, litigation or legal settlement expenses; the effects of currency movements of the Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso as compared to the U.S. dollar; future impairments of B&G Foods' goodwill, other intangible assets, and tangible assets, such as property, plant, equipment or inventory, which impairments may be triggered if operating results for any of B&G Foods' brands deteriorate at rates in excess of its current projections, B&G Foods' market capitalization declines or discount rates change, even if due to macroeconomic factors, or may be triggered by divestitures if divestiture proceeds are less than the book value of the assets being divested; B&G Foods' ability to protect information systems against, or effectively respond to, a cybersecurity incident, other disruption or data leak; B&G Foods' ability to successfully implement B&G Foods' sustainability initiatives and achieve B&G Foods' sustainability goals, and changes to environmental laws and regulations; B&G Foods' ability to successfully adopt and utilize new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, including machine learning and generative artificial intelligence; and other factors that affect the food industry generally, including: recalls if products become adulterated or misbranded, liability if product consumption causes injury, ingredient disclosure and labeling laws and regulations and the possibility that consumers could lose confidence in the safety and quality of certain food products; competitors' pricing practices and promotional spending levels; fluctuations in the level of B&G Foods' customers' inventories and credit and other business risks related to B&G Foods' customers operating in a challenging economic and competitive environment; and the risks associated with third-party suppliers and co-packers, including the risk that any failure by one or more of B&G Foods' third-party suppliers or co-packers to comply with food safety or other laws and regulations may disrupt B&G Foods' supply of raw materials or certain finished goods products or injure B&G Foods' reputation. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in B&G Foods' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in B&G Foods' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. B&G Foods undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on Contacts Investor Relations:ICR, Kate HellerbgfoodsIR@ Media Relations:ICR, Lindberg203.682.8214 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Crisco owner B&G Foods sells tomato brands amid efforts to reshape portfolio
This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter. B&G Foods sold two of its tomato brands to a private equity company as the Crisco owner looks to offload some of its portfolio and reduce debt. Violet Foods, a newly formed portfolio company of Amphora Equity Partners, will acquire B&G's Don Pepino and Sclafani brands for an undisclosed amount. Don Pepino makes sauces used in pizza shops across the East Coast, while Sclafani is known for its tomatoes, tomato puree and whole peeled tomatoes. The sale included the manufacturing facility in Williamstown, New Jersey where the products are produced. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Built through a series of acquisitions, B&G Foods is taking a far different approach these days. The New Jersey company has been actively slimming down its portfolio to streamline its focus and reduce its overall debt load. B&G sold Green Giant canned business to Seneca Foods in 2023 and snacks brand Back to Nature a year earlier to Barilla. The company is also looking to sell the Green Giant frozen business. Don Pepino and Sclafani are smaller offerings within B&G's portfolio of more than 50 brands that also include Ortega, Cream of Wheat and Crisco. Don Pepino and Sclafani make sauces and tomato products, categories that face significant competition from brand names and private-label offerings. This headwind is unlikely to abate as inflation-weary consumers cut back on spending and look to save money when they can. During the company's first-quarter earnings call, CEO Casey Keller said reshaping B&G's portfolio 'is a very high priority for the company and critical to our future strategic direction and risk profile.' The CEO said his goal includes creating 'a more highly focused B&G' that can be a foundation for M&A growth in its core business lines, principally spices and seasonings, Mexican meal preparation and baking staples. Recommended Reading B&G Foods exploring sale of Green Giant frozen, canned vegetable businesses
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
B&G Foods sells Don Pepino and Sclafani brands to Violet Foods
US manufacturer B&G Foods has sold its Don Pepino and Sclafani sauces and canned tomatoes brands to investor-linked Violet Foods. Violet Foods is a newly formed portfolio company of Amphora Equity Partners, which invests in the North American packaged food and beverage sector. The deal includes B&G Foods' manufacturing facility in Williamstown, New Jersey, where it produces the branded products sold, according to a statement. The Don Pepino brand includes pizza and pasta sauces and was created by the Sclafani family in 1950. Meanwhile, the Sclafani product line features canned tomatoes and sauces. B&G Foods said the proceeds from the sale will be used to repay 'long-term debt'. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. B&G Foods' president and CEO Casey Keller said: 'The divestiture of the Don Pepino and Sclafani brands is consistent with our efforts to reshape our portfolio, focus on our core brands and reduce long-term debt. 'We believe that Amphora is the right owner to support the future growth of the Don Pepino and Sclafani brands.' Just Food has reached out to Amphora Equity Partners for comment on the purchase as no commentary was provided by B&G Foods in its statement. Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, B&G Foods manufactures, sells and distributes its products across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. It has a diverse portfolio of over 50 brands, including B&G, B&M, Bear Creek, Cream of Wheat, Crisco, Dash, Green Giant and Victoria. The brand sales come after B&G Foods recorded impairments across a group of four brands, charges that pushed the US manufacturer deeper into the red in 2024. The company booked charges of $320m, which it said were 'related to intangible trademark assets' for its Green Giant, Victoria, Static Guard and McCann's brands. At the time, B&G Foods projected its net sales for fiscal 2025 to range from $1.89bn to $1.95bn, with adjusted EBITDA of $290m to $300m and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.65 to $0.75. However, in May, the company cut its guidance for FY25 net sales to $1.86-$1.91bn, with adjusted EBITDA anticipated at $280-$290m and adjusted diluted earnings per share at $0.55 to $0.65. The reduction was announced in B&G Foods' first-quarter results, showing a 10.5% decline in total net sales to $425.4m. Net sales within its Speciality foods segment, which includes Don Pepino and Sclafani, dropped 13.1% year-on-year to $134.4m. "B&G Foods sells Don Pepino and Sclafani brands to Violet Foods" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
