NAPA, CA, December 3, 2019 – Pat DeLong, a 25-year veteran of the wine industry, announced the formation of Napa Valley-based Azur Associates to provide strategic advisory services in the fine-beverage space. Comprised of beverage industry executives with deep operational experience in diverse functions, Azur Associates is well positioned to deliver on its three main areas of practice: strategic and financial consulting, mergers and acquisitions work, and route-to-market planning and execution in both the wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels.
To complement its in-house M&A expertise, Azur Associates has entered into a strategic alliance with Cascadia Capital to work collaboratively to provide advisory services to premium-beverage clients. Cascadia Capital, headquartered in Seattle, WA, is one of the nation’s leading middle-market-focused investment banking firms, providing merger and acquisition and capital-raising advisory services to family and entrepreneur-owned businesses.
Pat DeLong was inspired to form Azur Associates to better serve the industry. “I saw a unique opportunity to provide a holistic solution to those already in the beverage industry, as well as those looking to enter. Most firms have one strong area of expertise. Clients then must find another firm or another consultant to help with the next stage of growth or the next strategic decision,” DeLong says.
He decided to build a team with a broad base of knowledge, one that understands the nuts and bolts of the business, and assembled a strong base of executive advisors in addition to the four founding associates. “Each member of our team has worked first-hand to build some of the finest brands in the beverage world. We know what it takes to grow a successful company from both a strategic and executional perspective, and we look forward to helping our clients do the same.”
Azur Associates founder Pat DeLong has served in a number of C-level roles at some of the leading consumer beverage companies, most recently at Crimson Wine Group as CEO and prior as COO and CFO, as well as at Constellation Brands, Robert Mondavi Corporation and Francis Ford Coppola. Ed LeMay possesses nearly 35 years of beverage sales and sales management experience, including serving as Chief of Staff, Sales, for large-volume wine suppliers Treasury Wine Estates and Constellation Brands. Lisa Goff has an extensive background in direct-to-consumer management and brand marketing with a variety of wineries, most recently working as Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer Sales, at Terlato Wine Group and previously as Vice President, Marketing, at Crimson Wine Group. Dale Stratton, after more than 20 years at E&J Gallo, served as Vice President, Commercial Insights, at Constellation Brands. He worked across its Beer, Wine, and Spirits divisions to oversee consumer and shopper insights, consumer affairs, business analytics, market research, and category management initiatives.
To learn more about the team’s background and Azur Associates’ capabilities, visit the website at www.azur-associates.com or email info@azur-associates.com.
About Azur Associates
Azur Associates advises and partners with fine-beverage clients to address their needs and achieve their vision through financial and strategic advisory, mergers and acquisitions, and route-to-market planning and execution. With extensive operational experience behind its team of associates, as well as its C-level advisors, Azur Associates brings a broad base of real-world advice and success to their clients. www.azur-associates.com
For more information on Cascadia Capital, go to www.cascadiacapital.com.
